When the Supreme Court gave its order and Mamata Banerjee declared it a “moral victory”, I was at a tea shop nearby, close to the Metro Cinema.&nbsp;

The discussion there, as is so often the case in Kolkata, was that of politics. Is this really a moral victory for Mamata? Or did the CBI come out on top?

But after returning to Kolkata after a long while and at a time that politics is coursing through the city’s veins, I could not help but wonder about another question: Is this politics, the Chief Minister’s dharna to save democracy, good for Bengal and its people?

Mamata Banerjee stormed to power, catapulted largely by the Singur movement and the politics of bandhs, dharnas and dissent that she inherited from the Left.

But as a Chief Minister, she took a strong stance against such protests, and in September 2016, she reacted to a Left strike in Kolkata and considered passing a law against such bandhs. “It is not the right form of protest,” she had said.

But for Kolkata and Bengal, what is the right form of protest? This is, after all, the city that has seen the maximum number of bandhs since Independence. Former Bengal chief minister Ajoy Mukherjee of the Bangla Congress sat at Dharmatala in protest against his own government, particularly his home minister Jyoti Basu, in the 1960s.

The Left would then go on to convert organised political dissent into an art form, and by the early 2000s, the word ‘bandh’ found itself on the pages of the Oxford English Dictionary (Bandh: Indian, general strike).

It is not accidental that Mamata Banerjee chose Metro Channel for the site of her protest. Steeped with the mythology of ‘Didi’ and ‘Ma Maati Manush’, this is where she had fasted for 25 days to protest land acquisition in Singur in 2006.

I remember that protest. Rajnath Singh had come to show his solidarity. Even the governor, Gopal Krishna Gandhi, came to see the protest. Like then, I am still an onlooker of her politics. The difference is that 13 years have passed in between and the political scenario in both Bengal and the country have changed.

Can the rest of the country accept Mamata Banerjee’s brand of fiery politics? Such a confrontational and aggressive politics is liked, and perhaps even needed, in Bengal. It infuses the party cadre with adrenaline, motivates them and eventually benefits the party. But there are socio-economic reasons for it as well.

What the Oxford Dictionary doesn’t tell you, but many in the state will agree, is that there is a strong socio-economic basis for this: Protests and the politics of bandh are also a livelihood. I spoke to a man in Delhi, who had moved from Midnapore and was running a small taxi company. I asked him,“Tumi kon party koro?” This literally translates into “Which party do you do” — a possibly, more accurate representation of Bengal’s association with its politics.

He replied, “I work through the year and then I vote. The problem here is that there are no jobs, and when you don’t have work, you need the party to survive.”

There is no denying Mamata Banerjee’s success. There were others before her, but it was Banerjee’s relentless politics that dethroned the Left Front regime.

As Chief Minister, she is incredibly active and brings minute attention to detail that has often been missed. No chief minister has held as many meetings in different districts to oversee work being done.

Mamata’s instinctive politics has translated into a form of empathetic governance that has ensured that she continues to be the most popular leader in the state — by a mile.

What impact this protest will have on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls is yet to be seen. But she has managed to swing the spotlight onto her, and away from Rahul Gandhi.

Every non-BJP party has come out in support and allies have turned up in Kolkata to protest with her and her acceptability has increased nationwide.

But Bengal was to host its global business summit this week. With the protest still ongoing, the fate of the summit is anyone’s guess. This year, unlike earlier, there is no participation from the Union government and its ministers, and consequently, participation from the business community is also likely to be less.

Perhaps Mamata Banerjee feels that the dharna is more relevant than global business right now.

As far as moral victories are concerned, it is not important as to who has won between the CBI and Mamata. Banerjee converted this into a standoff over the federal structure, but the fact remains that dissent is important, as is protest — but it can only co-exist alongside debate, and that is what Bengal can’t afford to forget.

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-the-politics-of-protest-2716559">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

&nbsp;

When the Supreme Court gave its order and Mamata Banerjee declared it a “moral victory”, I was at a tea shop nearby, close to the Metro Cinema. The discussion there, as is so often the case in Kolkata, was that of politics.

When the Supreme Court gave its order and Mamata Banerjee declared it a “moral victory”, I was at a tea shop nearby, close to the Metro Cinema. The discussion there, as is so often the case in Kolkata, was that of politics. Is this really a moral victory for Mamata? Or did the CBI come out on top? But after returning to Kolkata after a long while and at a time that politics is coursing through the city’s veins, I could not help but wonder about another question: Is this politics, the Chief Minister’s dharna to save democracy, good for Bengal and its people? Mamata Banerjee stormed to power, catapulted largely by the Singur movement and the politics of bandhs, dharnas and dissent that she inherited from the Left. But as a Chief Minister, she took a strong stance against such protests, and in September 2016, she reacted to a Left strike in Kolkata and considered passing a law against such bandhs. “It is not the right form of protest,” she had said. But for Kolkata and Bengal, what is the right form of protest? This is, after all, the city that has seen the maximum number of bandhs since Independence. Former Bengal chief minister Ajoy Mukherjee of the Bangla Congress sat at Dharmatala in protest against his own government, particularly his home minister Jyoti Basu, in the 1960s. The Left would then go on to convert organised political dissent into an art form, and by the early 2000s, the word ‘bandh’ found itself on the pages of the Oxford English Dictionary (Bandh: Indian, general strike). It is not accidental that Mamata Banerjee chose Metro Channel for the site of her protest. Steeped with the mythology of ‘Didi’ and ‘Ma Maati Manush’, this is where she had fasted for 25 days to protest land acquisition in Singur in 2006. I remember that protest. Rajnath Singh had come to show his solidarity. Even the governor, Gopal Krishna Gandhi, came to see the protest. Like then, I am still an onlooker of her politics. The difference is that 13 years have passed in between and the political scenario in both Bengal and the country have changed. Can the rest of the country accept Mamata Banerjee’s brand of fiery politics? Such a confrontational and aggressive politics is liked, and perhaps even needed, in Bengal. It infuses the party cadre with adrenaline, motivates them and eventually benefits the party. But there are socio-economic reasons for it as well. What the Oxford Dictionary doesn’t tell you, but many in the state will agree, is that there is a strong socio-economic basis for this: Protests and the politics of bandh are also a livelihood. I spoke to a man in Delhi, who had moved from Midnapore and was running a small taxi company. I asked him,“Tumi kon party koro?” This literally translates into “Which party do you do” — a possibly, more accurate representation of Bengal’s association with its politics. He replied, “I work through the year and then I vote. The problem here is that there are no jobs, and when you don’t have work, you need the party to survive.” There is no denying Mamata Banerjee’s success. There were others before her, but it was Banerjee’s relentless politics that dethroned the Left Front regime. As Chief Minister, she is incredibly active and brings minute attention to detail that has often been missed. No chief minister has held as many meetings in different districts to oversee work being done. Mamata’s instinctive politics has translated into a form of empathetic governance that has ensured that she continues to be the most popular leader in the state — by a mile. What impact this protest will have on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls is yet to be seen. But she has managed to swing the spotlight onto her, and away from Rahul Gandhi. Every non-BJP party has come out in support and allies have turned up in Kolkata to protest with her and her acceptability has increased nationwide. But Bengal was to host its global business summit this week. With the protest still ongoing, the fate of the summit is anyone’s guess. This year, unlike earlier, there is no participation from the Union government and its ministers, and consequently, participation from the business community is also likely to be less. Perhaps Mamata Banerjee feels that the dharna is more relevant than global business right now. As far as moral victories are concerned, it is not important as to who has won between the CBI and Mamata. Banerjee converted this into a standoff over the federal structure, but the fact remains that dissent is important, as is protest — but it can only co-exist alongside debate, and that is what Bengal can’t afford to forget. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The politics of protest: Is this really a moral victory for Mamata?

Opposition BJP in Karnataka on Wednesday disrupted Governor Vajubhai Vala's address to the joint sitting of the state legislature here.

This is the first session after the cabinet expansion in December and political turmoil that engulfed the state following the alleged attempt by the BJP to topple the government by poaching disgruntled legislators of the ruling JD(S)-Congress coalition.

As soon as the governor started his customary address to the joint sitting, BJP members entered the Well of the House, asking him not to deliver the address.

"You are made to read lies, so please don't read it," BJP members said. 
However, Vala continued with his speech, even as BJP members intensified their sloganeering.

"We don't want a bundle of lies to be read. Down down... The government that has lost majority and trust," they shouted.

As the BJP's protest intensified, the governor said he is concluding his address, and it should be deemed as read. Vala read out the last paragraph of his speech.

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who also holds the Finance portfolio, is scheduled to present his coalition governments second budget on February 8.

Opposition BJP in Karnataka on Wednesday disrupted Governor Vajubhai Vala's address to the joint sitting of the state legislature here. This is the first session after the cabinet expansion in December and political turmoil that engulfed the state following the alleged attempt by the BJP to topple the government by poaching disgruntled legislators of the ruling JD(S)-Congress coalition.

Opposition BJP in Karnataka on Wednesday disrupted Governor Vajubhai Vala's address to the joint sitting of the state legislature here. This is the first session after the cabinet expansion in December and political turmoil that engulfed the state following the alleged attempt by the BJP to topple the government by poaching disgruntled legislators of the ruling JD(S)-Congress coalition. As soon as the governor started his customary address to the joint sitting, BJP members entered the Well of the House, asking him not to deliver the address. "You are made to read lies, so please don't read it," BJP members said. However, Vala continued with his speech, even as BJP members intensified their sloganeering. "We don't want a bundle of lies to be read. Down down... The government that has lost majority and trust," they shouted. As the BJP's protest intensified, the governor said he is concluding his address, and it should be deemed as read. Vala read out the last paragraph of his speech. Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who also holds the Finance portfolio, is scheduled to present his coalition governments second budget on February 8.

Drama in Karnataka: Opposition MLAs create ruckus in legislature, disrupt Governor’s address

During her days in opposition, Mamata Banerjee had accused an IPS officer of tapping the phones of political rivals of the ruling Left Front. A decade down the line, she&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/mamata-banerjee-calls-off-her-dharna-says-will-take-up-issue-next-week-in-delhi-195408">staged a dharna to protest the CBI's bid to question him</a>.

Meet Rajeev Kumar, the Kolkata police commissioner, known for his impeccable investigating and electronic surveillance skills, who was once a blue-eyed boy of former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.

Banerjee had then accused Kumar of snooping on telephonic conversations of opposition leaders, an allegation rejected by the then Left Front government.

An IPS officer of the 1989 batch, 53-year-old Kumar, who holds an engineering degree in computer science from IIT Roorkee, is a native of Uttar Pradesh.

During his impressive career, Kumar has held important positions including those of Joint Commissioner (Special Task Force) and Director General (CID).

It was under&nbsp;his manship that the STF of Kolkata Police became a byword for terror for several top Maoists leaders and notorious criminals.

He was instrumental in the arrest of Chattaradhar Mahato, the much-feared convenor of People's Committee Against Police Atrocities, a frontal organisation of CPI (Maoist), at the height of Lalgarh movement. Kumar's officers disguised as the journalist had arrested Mahato.

The tribals of Lalgarh, backed by Maoists, had begun a movement in the region against alleged police atrocities over a decade-and-half ago.

They had targeted the then chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's convoy at Salboni in Paschim Medinipur, prompting the government to launch a massive crackdown to flush out the rebels.

Former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, in his book 'Dial D for Don', reminisced how Rajeev Kumar, then SSP (CID), did extensive work after the American Center attack in 2001 and the high-profile kidnapping case of Khadim shoe company's CEO Partha Pratim Roy Burman.&nbsp;

The former Delhi police boss was full of praise for Kumar.

Former IPS officers say Kumar always stood by his subordinates.

"He always stood by his men and officers. He is a team leader in the true sense," a former IPS officer said, adding he enjoys "immense respect" among the rank and file of the Kolkata police force.

In 2011, when Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress came to power ending the 34-year Left Front rule, she wanted Kumar to be moved to some insignificant position.

She was, however, dissuaded by senior police officers from taking such a course.

Over the next eight years, a lot of water has flown down the Howrah bridge.

In January 2012, when Bidhannagar Police Commissionarate was formed, Rajeev Kumar was appointed its first commissioner.

When the Saradha chit fund scam was busted in 2013, thousands of collection agents for the company converged at the TMC headquarters and demanded action against its chairman Sudipta Sen.&nbsp;

The first cases against the group were lodged under the jurisdiction of Bidhannagar police commissioner.

Kumar and his team arrested Sen and his partner in crime Debjani Mukherjee from Jammu and Kashmir on April 18, 2013.

The state government formed a special investigation team (SIT) under him to probe the fraud which saw lakhs of depositors getting duped of their hard earned money with the promise of abnormally high returns.

It was during his stint as SIT chief that he grew closer to the ruling dispensation.

His proximity to the establishment also brought with it criticism, as opposition parties accused the SIT of trying to destroy evidence against ruling TMC leaders and stalling the probe.

In November 2013, rebel TMC MP Kunal Ghosh was arrested by the SIT.

A CBI probe into the chit fund scam was ordered by the Supreme Court in May 2014 on a petition by senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan.

Meanwhile, the TMC dispensation elevated him as Additional Director General of CID.

During his tenure as ADG (CID), he outsmarted the CBI and arrested the first accused in the case of rape of a 70-year-old nun.&nbsp;

The nun was raped by a gang of seven dacoits inside a Convent in Nadia district on March 14, 2015.

Amid growing outrage, the state government had decided to hand over the case to the CBI on March 18, 2015.

But before the federal probe agency could lay its hands on the perpetrators, Kumar arrested the first accused on March 26.

He took over as 21st police commissioner of Kolkata on February 2016, the year the state had its last assembly polls.

A month later, two officers of Kolkata police, disguised as cow smugglers, tried to bribe BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha to help them in their trade.

The incident happened just a fortnight after Narada news released sting videos showing Trinamool Congress leaders purportedly accepting money from a fictitious company.

In April that year, the Election Commission decided to replace Kumar with Somen Mitra.

Once back in power, Mamata Banerjee reinstated Kumar.

Last September, a series of audio clips of purported telephone conversations between Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP general secretary in charge of West Bengal, and Mukul Roy, a former confidante of Banerjee and now a frontline leader of the saffron party, started doing the rounds in social media.

The clips included a conversation where Roy purportedly asked Vijayvargiya to talk to BJP president Amit Shah and get CBI to keep a "watch" on four IPS officers serving in the state so as to "scare" them.

Roy had then alleged that their phones were tapped by Kolkata police, which rejected the allegations.

During her days in opposition, Mamata Banerjee had accused an IPS officer of tapping the phones of political rivals of the ruling Left Front. A decade down the line, she staged a dharna to protest the CBI's bid to question him.

During her days in opposition, Mamata Banerjee had accused an IPS officer of tapping the phones of political rivals of the ruling Left Front. A decade down the line, she staged a dharna to protest the CBI's bid to question him. Meet Rajeev Kumar, the Kolkata police commissioner, known for his impeccable investigating and electronic surveillance skills, who was once a blue-eyed boy of former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya. Banerjee had then accused Kumar of snooping on telephonic conversations of opposition leaders, an allegation rejected by the then Left Front government. An IPS officer of the 1989 batch, 53-year-old Kumar, who holds an engineering degree in computer science from IIT Roorkee, is a native of Uttar Pradesh. During his impressive career, Kumar has held important positions including those of Joint Commissioner (Special Task Force) and Director General (CID). It was under his manship that the STF of Kolkata Police became a byword for terror for several top Maoists leaders and notorious criminals. He was instrumental in the arrest of Chattaradhar Mahato, the much-feared convenor of People's Committee Against Police Atrocities, a frontal organisation of CPI (Maoist), at the height of Lalgarh movement. Kumar's officers disguised as the journalist had arrested Mahato. The tribals of Lalgarh, backed by Maoists, had begun a movement in the region against alleged police atrocities over a decade-and-half ago. They had targeted the then chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's convoy at Salboni in Paschim Medinipur, prompting the government to launch a massive crackdown to flush out the rebels. Former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, in his book 'Dial D for Don', reminisced how Rajeev Kumar, then SSP (CID), did extensive work after the American Center attack in 2001 and the high-profile kidnapping case of Khadim shoe company's CEO Partha Pratim Roy Burman. The former Delhi police boss was full of praise for Kumar. Former IPS officers say Kumar always stood by his subordinates. "He always stood by his men and officers. He is a team leader in the true sense," a former IPS officer said, adding he enjoys "immense respect" among the rank and file of the Kolkata police force. In 2011, when Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress came to power ending the 34-year Left Front rule, she wanted Kumar to be moved to some insignificant position. She was, however, dissuaded by senior police officers from taking such a course. Over the next eight years, a lot of water has flown down the Howrah bridge. In January 2012, when Bidhannagar Police Commissionarate was formed, Rajeev Kumar was appointed its first commissioner. When the Saradha chit fund scam was busted in 2013, thousands of collection agents for the company converged at the TMC headquarters and demanded action against its chairman Sudipta Sen. The first cases against the group were lodged under the jurisdiction of Bidhannagar police commissioner. Kumar and his team arrested Sen and his partner in crime Debjani Mukherjee from Jammu and Kashmir on April 18, 2013. The state government formed a special investigation team (SIT) under him to probe the fraud which saw lakhs of depositors getting duped of their hard earned money with the promise of abnormally high returns. It was during his stint as SIT chief that he grew closer to the ruling dispensation. His proximity to the establishment also brought with it criticism, as opposition parties accused the SIT of trying to destroy evidence against ruling TMC leaders and stalling the probe. In November 2013, rebel TMC MP Kunal Ghosh was arrested by the SIT. A CBI probe into the chit fund scam was ordered by the Supreme Court in May 2014 on a petition by senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan. Meanwhile, the TMC dispensation elevated him as Additional Director General of CID. During his tenure as ADG (CID), he outsmarted the CBI and arrested the first accused in the case of rape of a 70-year-old nun. The nun was raped by a gang of seven dacoits inside a Convent in Nadia district on March 14, 2015. Amid growing outrage, the state government had decided to hand over the case to the CBI on March 18, 2015. But before the federal probe agency could lay its hands on the perpetrators, Kumar arrested the first accused on March 26. He took over as 21st police commissioner of Kolkata on February 2016, the year the state had its last assembly polls. A month later, two officers of Kolkata police, disguised as cow smugglers, tried to bribe BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha to help them in their trade. The incident happened just a fortnight after Narada news released sting videos showing Trinamool Congress leaders purportedly accepting money from a fictitious company. In April that year, the Election Commission decided to replace Kumar with Somen Mitra. Once back in power, Mamata Banerjee reinstated Kumar. Last September, a series of audio clips of purported telephone conversations between Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP general secretary in charge of West Bengal, and Mukul Roy, a former confidante of Banerjee and now a frontline leader of the saffron party, started doing the rounds in social media. The clips included a conversation where Roy purportedly asked Vijayvargiya to talk to BJP president Amit Shah and get CBI to keep a "watch" on four IPS officers serving in the state so as to "scare" them. Roy had then alleged that their phones were tapped by Kolkata police, which rejected the allegations.

Rajeev Kumar: Kolkata Police chief who was once close to being moved to insignificant post by Mamata Banerjee

The Nepali Congress (NC), on Monday, took to the roads here to protest against the government, claiming that the activities of the government are going against the public interest.

“The Constitutional Council appoints ambassadors and head of other constitutional bodies.&nbsp;

While making the decisions from the council, the government has been making decisions on its own.

The provisions regarding the attorney of the appointments to be made by the cabinet and the constitutional council are mentioned on the constitution itself.&nbsp;

The President of the opposition party is must during the meeting and upon bearing the post. Sher Bahadur Deuba (NC President) should be present there," Bimalendra Nidhi, a senior leader from the opposition party said while addressing the protest in Janakpur.

"Without inviting or informing Sher Bahadur Deuba over the meeting you have heard that the ambassadors were appointed. The Nepali Congress then denounced the meeting. This is proof of the incumbent Communist Party’s Prime Minister and the Oli Government not following the democratic process, not as per the Constitution but going against it and defying it which works against the public will,” Nidhi further said.

The NC, which is also the largest opposition party, claim that the anti-government protest rallies were organized in all the 77 districts of the country against the “tyranny of the State”.

Along with this, the opposition has also blamed the government of marching against the will of the Constitution - Defying it, playing role in consolidating corruption, rape and crime, hefty hike in the market price, tax burden and bad governance.

The Central Committee meeting of the opposition Nepali Congress last month decided to organize demonstrations against the government.&nbsp;

The opposition previously has shown its solidarity over the demands of so-called `social activist` Dr Govinda KC when it staged protests in the Parliament, throwing the procession off the track.

The NC has also protested against the government’s step of endorsing the National Medical Education Bill, despite the protests and the objections.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The Nepali Congress (NC), on Monday, took to the roads here to protest against the government, claiming that the activities of the government are going against the public interest.

The Nepali Congress (NC), on Monday, took to the roads here to protest against the government, claiming that the activities of the government are going against the public interest. “The Constitutional Council appoints ambassadors and head of other constitutional bodies. While making the decisions from the council, the government has been making decisions on its own. The provisions regarding the attorney of the appointments to be made by the cabinet and the constitutional council are mentioned on the constitution itself. The President of the opposition party is must during the meeting and upon bearing the post. Sher Bahadur Deuba (NC President) should be present there," Bimalendra Nidhi, a senior leader from the opposition party said while addressing the protest in Janakpur. "Without inviting or informing Sher Bahadur Deuba over the meeting you have heard that the ambassadors were appointed. The Nepali Congress then denounced the meeting. This is proof of the incumbent Communist Party’s Prime Minister and the Oli Government not following the democratic process, not as per the Constitution but going against it and defying it which works against the public will,” Nidhi further said. The NC, which is also the largest opposition party, claim that the anti-government protest rallies were organized in all the 77 districts of the country against the “tyranny of the State”. Along with this, the opposition has also blamed the government of marching against the will of the Constitution - Defying it, playing role in consolidating corruption, rape and crime, hefty hike in the market price, tax burden and bad governance. The Central Committee meeting of the opposition Nepali Congress last month decided to organize demonstrations against the government. The opposition previously has shown its solidarity over the demands of so-called `social activist` Dr Govinda KC when it staged protests in the Parliament, throwing the procession off the track. The NC has also protested against the government’s step of endorsing the National Medical Education Bill, despite the protests and the objections.

Nepal Opposition stages nationwide anti-government protests

With just months away for the Lok Sabha elections, the opposition is not leaving any stone unturned to consolidate power into its hands. 
 
Besides the frequent showcase of the "United Front" on several occasions, the parties have been involved in evolving arithmetic to keep the "Modi-Shah might" out of power.

Days before the arch-rivals BSP-SP joined hands and entered into a pre-poll alliance for the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. The two parties decided to fight elections on an equal number of seats leaving the two Congress bastion.

Exhibiting another showcase of unity, around 25 leaders from over 20 political parties held out a "united rally" in Kolkata on January 19. 
 
Led by Mamata Banerjee the rally was attended by leaders from across the country. The "United Front" saw the presence of Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah from the National Conference, HD Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy from the JD(S), TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu, DMK's MK Stalin, AIUDF's Badruddin Ajmal, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and many others including Mallikarjun Kharge from the Congress. Former NDA stalwart Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha, and BJP rebel Shatrughan Sinha also participated in the event along with NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Patidar leader Hardik Patel, Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani.

Joining hands on the dais the opposition hit out at the Modi government over demonetisation, GST, Rafale deal and the alleged "rising intolerance" in the country.

The "United opposition" against the current government shows a repeat of the opposition unity of 1977 which had successfully dethroned the first ever Congress government out of power. Fighting under the slogan "Indira hatao, desh bachao", the opposition had defeated Indira Gandhi and formed the first ever non-Congress government in India in 1977. 
 
Morarji Desai who became the fourth prime minister of the country, however, could not complete his tenure in the office. His government had to end its term midway due to the unsuccessful coalition. 
 
The next government formed under the leadership of Charan Singh also held an unsuccessful term in the office due to the rising conflict in the coalition. Singh could not complete his term after Indira Gandhi led Congress government suspended its support.

The country could never have a successful coalition government until 1998. The first ever non-Congress and coalition government that completed its full term in the country was headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Prior to Vajpayee's government, HD Deve Gowda, the eleventh prime minister of the country, also held an unsuccessful term and was removed from power within a year. Deve Gowda, the kingmaker of the 1996 general elections played a significant role in the formation of the government by extending support to the Congress party which had secured the second highest votes in the elections. BJP which won the highest votes remained out of power and was the main opposition in the parliament.

The current political situation of the country also foresees the rise of yet another Deve Gowda. While the entire opposition is fighting the 2019 elections against the BJP, the country may see the emergence of a new Deve Gowda if the results throw a hung assembly after the Lok Sabha polls.

Mamata Banerjee's slogan in the rally was "Badal do, Badal do, Dilli mei sarkar badal do". The front, however, does not have a prime ministerial face to replace the "Sarkar in Dilli".

While the BSP-SP alliance in Uttar Pradesh has clarified that the next prime minister of the country will be from UP, Mamata Banerjee is also seen as a strong contender to lead the Front in the next Lok Sabha.

Playing a masterstroke just days before the elections, the Congress appointed Priyanka Gandhi as the party general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh East. The move is seen as an answer to rival parties' constant questioning of Rahul Gandhi's calibre in representing the party.&nbsp;

Thus while the opposition has united against the common power, keeping aside its ideological differences, the absence of strong leadership in the Front may affect the coalition even after its victory.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

 
&nbsp;

With just months away for the Lok Sabha elections, the opposition is not leaving any stone unturned to consolidate power into its hands. Besides the frequent showcase of the "United Front" on several occasions, the parties have been involved in evolving arithmetic to keep the "Modi-Shah might" out of power.

With just months away for the Lok Sabha elections, the opposition is not leaving any stone unturned to consolidate power into its hands. Besides the frequent showcase of the "United Front" on several occasions, the parties have been involved in evolving arithmetic to keep the "Modi-Shah might" out of power. Days before the arch-rivals BSP-SP joined hands and entered into a pre-poll alliance for the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. The two parties decided to fight elections on an equal number of seats leaving the two Congress bastion. Exhibiting another showcase of unity, around 25 leaders from over 20 political parties held out a "united rally" in Kolkata on January 19. Led by Mamata Banerjee the rally was attended by leaders from across the country. The "United Front" saw the presence of Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah from the National Conference, HD Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy from the JD(S), TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu, DMK's MK Stalin, AIUDF's Badruddin Ajmal, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and many others including Mallikarjun Kharge from the Congress. Former NDA stalwart Arun Shourie, Yashwant Sinha, and BJP rebel Shatrughan Sinha also participated in the event along with NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Patidar leader Hardik Patel, Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani. Joining hands on the dais the opposition hit out at the Modi government over demonetisation, GST, Rafale deal and the alleged "rising intolerance" in the country. The "United opposition" against the current government shows a repeat of the opposition unity of 1977 which had successfully dethroned the first ever Congress government out of power. Fighting under the slogan "Indira hatao, desh bachao", the opposition had defeated Indira Gandhi and formed the first ever non-Congress government in India in 1977. Morarji Desai who became the fourth prime minister of the country, however, could not complete his tenure in the office. His government had to end its term midway due to the unsuccessful coalition. The next government formed under the leadership of Charan Singh also held an unsuccessful term in the office due to the rising conflict in the coalition. Singh could not complete his term after Indira Gandhi led Congress government suspended its support. The country could never have a successful coalition government until 1998. The first ever non-Congress and coalition government that completed its full term in the country was headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Prior to Vajpayee's government, HD Deve Gowda, the eleventh prime minister of the country, also held an unsuccessful term and was removed from power within a year. Deve Gowda, the kingmaker of the 1996 general elections played a significant role in the formation of the government by extending support to the Congress party which had secured the second highest votes in the elections. BJP which won the highest votes remained out of power and was the main opposition in the parliament. The current political situation of the country also foresees the rise of yet another Deve Gowda. While the entire opposition is fighting the 2019 elections against the BJP, the country may see the emergence of a new Deve Gowda if the results throw a hung assembly after the Lok Sabha polls. Mamata Banerjee's slogan in the rally was "Badal do, Badal do, Dilli mei sarkar badal do". The front, however, does not have a prime ministerial face to replace the "Sarkar in Dilli". While the BSP-SP alliance in Uttar Pradesh has clarified that the next prime minister of the country will be from UP, Mamata Banerjee is also seen as a strong contender to lead the Front in the next Lok Sabha. Playing a masterstroke just days before the elections, the Congress appointed Priyanka Gandhi as the party general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh East. The move is seen as an answer to rival parties' constant questioning of Rahul Gandhi's calibre in representing the party. Thus while the opposition has united against the common power, keeping aside its ideological differences, the absence of strong leadership in the Front may affect the coalition even after its victory. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

How far will the united opposition go without prime ministerial face?

Cambodia renewed calls for arrest of veteran <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/one-party-rule-terrible-setback-for-cambodia-opposition-chief-156171">opposition chief Sam Rainsy</a> on Monday amid the threat of sanctions by the European Union, its biggest garment export market worth billions of euros a year, over human rights concerns.

Sam Rainsy's opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved by the Supreme Court in 2017 and 118 CNRP members were banned from politics ahead of the 2018 general election.

Long-time Prime Minister Hun Sen won every seat in the July vote and the European Union warned that it would strip Cambodia of its "Everything but Arms" duty-free trading access.

Hun Sen this month threatened to retaliate against the opposition if the European Union withdrew duty-free trading access.

Sam Rainsy, who lives in France where he fled in 2015 after a conviction for defamation, has said that he will return to Cambodia sometime this year.

Two arrest warrants for Sam Rainsy from 2015 were republished in a messaging app Telegram for public officials on Monday for defamation and using false public documents and incitement to cause social instability.

A spokesman for the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) warned that a third party might kill Sam Rainsy and blame the government if he returns.

"If convict Sam Rainsy dares to enter Cambodia, there may be a third party shooting to kill convict Sam Rainsy and put the blame on the royal government of Cambodia," Sok Eysan told Reuters.

Sam Rainsy didn't respond to a request for comment. He has said in the past that the convictions are politically motivated.

Cambodian businesses and unions urged the European Union last week not to withdraw trade preferences, saying such a decision would pose serious economic damage and harm millions of workers and their families, especially rural women.

Cambodia renewed calls for arrest of veteran opposition chief Sam Rainsy on Monday amid the threat of sanctions by the European Union, its biggest garment export market worth billions of euros a year, over human rights concerns.

Cambodia renewed calls for arrest of veteran opposition chief Sam Rainsy on Monday amid the threat of sanctions by the European Union, its biggest garment export market worth billions of euros a year, over human rights concerns. Sam Rainsy's opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved by the Supreme Court in 2017 and 118 CNRP members were banned from politics ahead of the 2018 general election. Long-time Prime Minister Hun Sen won every seat in the July vote and the European Union warned that it would strip Cambodia of its "Everything but Arms" duty-free trading access. Hun Sen this month threatened to retaliate against the opposition if the European Union withdrew duty-free trading access. Sam Rainsy, who lives in France where he fled in 2015 after a conviction for defamation, has said that he will return to Cambodia sometime this year. Two arrest warrants for Sam Rainsy from 2015 were republished in a messaging app Telegram for public officials on Monday for defamation and using false public documents and incitement to cause social instability. A spokesman for the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) warned that a third party might kill Sam Rainsy and blame the government if he returns. "If convict Sam Rainsy dares to enter Cambodia, there may be a third party shooting to kill convict Sam Rainsy and put the blame on the royal government of Cambodia," Sok Eysan told Reuters. Sam Rainsy didn't respond to a request for comment. He has said in the past that the convictions are politically motivated. Cambodian businesses and unions urged the European Union last week not to withdraw trade preferences, saying such a decision would pose serious economic damage and harm millions of workers and their families, especially rural women.

Cambodia seeks opposition leader's arrest amid EU sanctions threat

Kolkata Opposition Rally: TMC trying to project Mamata Banerjee as PM candidate

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has acted as an astute politician by presiding over the Cabinet decision to grant 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the economically deprived in the general category and then ensuring the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha (lower House of Parliament) on Tuesday (January 8, 2018).

The passage of The Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019 in Lok Sabha, after a marathon debate, proved to be a tame affair. With 323 members voting in its favour and only three voting against. In this way, the Bill was passed by the requisite majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting as prescribed under Article 368 of the Constitution.

The 124th Constitution Amendment Bill provides for special provision for a maximum of 10 per cent reservation to all economically weaker sections of citizens from the general category for the reservation of appointments or posts and also for admission to educational institutions, including private educational institutions, whether aided or unaided by the state, excluding the minority educational institutions.

Prime Minister Modi's move ahead of parliamentary elections, to go for 10 per cent reservation for the economically weaker sections cutting across religious lines in government jobs and educational institutions is being described as a game changer. The debate on this Bill in Parliament showed that all the opposition party's that are pitching for a 'grand alliance' against the BJP for the coming parliamentary election have been caught flat-footed and had no choice but to support the Bill. All they had to say against it was its "timing". Modi was targetted in Parliament and the charge levelled against him was that ahead of Lok Sabha polls, he was trying to regain lost ground among the "Savarnas" (the so-called upper castes) who have been excluded from the quota system and were demanding reservation on an economic basis and not on caste lines.&nbsp;

The demand for reservation on economic basis was raised in a big way in Madhya Pradesh by SAPAKS Samaj, a people’s organisation founded in November 2016. During electioneering for the just-concluded Madhya Pradesh Assembly election, a large section of those wedded to the SAPAKS ideology were in favour of NOTA and they had circulated this message through the social media across constituencies among the die-hard SAPAKS activists who had &nbsp;been galvanised by the massive support to the call for Bharat Bandh against the amendment to the SC/ST Atrocities Act by the Union Government and this had led to what could be described as a “tectonic shift” of votes away from the BJP at a time when there was neither a wave against the BJP nor an over-riding support for the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh.

When both parties were fighting neck to neck and chasing every vote, when the victory margin for dozens of candidates got reduced to just a few hundred votes, the half a million plus NOTA votes have played a decisive role in shaping the outcome of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.&nbsp;

The implementation of 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections, will increase the reserved quota to 59.5 per cent from the existing 49.5 per cent.

There is a need for a national debate to evaluate and analyse the overall impact of the existing reservation regime when it comes to the advancement and progress of the "socially and educationally" backward SC/ST communities. We also need to prepare state-wise comprehensive human development reports (HDRs) covering a whole gamut of indices to pin-point backwardness and to identify sections that still require the benefit of reservation.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has acted as an astute politician by presiding over the Cabinet decision to grant 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the economically deprived in the general category and then ensuring the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha (lower House of Parliament) on Tuesday (January 8, 2018).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has acted as an astute politician by presiding over the Cabinet decision to grant 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the economically deprived in the general category and then ensuring the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha (lower House of Parliament) on Tuesday (January 8, 2018). The passage of The Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019 in Lok Sabha, after a marathon debate, proved to be a tame affair. With 323 members voting in its favour and only three voting against. In this way, the Bill was passed by the requisite majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting as prescribed under Article 368 of the Constitution. The 124th Constitution Amendment Bill provides for special provision for a maximum of 10 per cent reservation to all economically weaker sections of citizens from the general category for the reservation of appointments or posts and also for admission to educational institutions, including private educational institutions, whether aided or unaided by the state, excluding the minority educational institutions. Prime Minister Modi's move ahead of parliamentary elections, to go for 10 per cent reservation for the economically weaker sections cutting across religious lines in government jobs and educational institutions is being described as a game changer. The debate on this Bill in Parliament showed that all the opposition party's that are pitching for a 'grand alliance' against the BJP for the coming parliamentary election have been caught flat-footed and had no choice but to support the Bill. All they had to say against it was its "timing". Modi was targetted in Parliament and the charge levelled against him was that ahead of Lok Sabha polls, he was trying to regain lost ground among the "Savarnas" (the so-called upper castes) who have been excluded from the quota system and were demanding reservation on an economic basis and not on caste lines. The demand for reservation on economic basis was raised in a big way in Madhya Pradesh by SAPAKS Samaj, a people’s organisation founded in November 2016. During electioneering for the just-concluded Madhya Pradesh Assembly election, a large section of those wedded to the SAPAKS ideology were in favour of NOTA and they had circulated this message through the social media across constituencies among the die-hard SAPAKS activists who had been galvanised by the massive support to the call for Bharat Bandh against the amendment to the SC/ST Atrocities Act by the Union Government and this had led to what could be described as a “tectonic shift” of votes away from the BJP at a time when there was neither a wave against the BJP nor an over-riding support for the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh. When both parties were fighting neck to neck and chasing every vote, when the victory margin for dozens of candidates got reduced to just a few hundred votes, the half a million plus NOTA votes have played a decisive role in shaping the outcome of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections. The implementation of 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections, will increase the reserved quota to 59.5 per cent from the existing 49.5 per cent. There is a need for a national debate to evaluate and analyse the overall impact of the existing reservation regime when it comes to the advancement and progress of the "socially and educationally" backward SC/ST communities. We also need to prepare state-wise comprehensive human development reports (HDRs) covering a whole gamut of indices to pin-point backwardness and to identify sections that still require the benefit of reservation. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opposition parties fall in line and support quota for economically weaker sections

A united Opposition on Monday thwarted the government's attempt to push the instant <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-bill-will-ruin-families-will-launch-agitation-against-it-aimwplb-187352">Triple Talaq Bill </a>in the Rajya Sabha as it insisted on referring it to the select committee of Parliament.

The Bill, which proposes to criminalize the practice of Muslims men giving divorce to their wives by uttering the word "Talaq" thrice in quick succession, was passed by Lok Sabha three days back. It needs to be passed by the Rajya Sabha to become a law.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2018 was slated to be taken up by the Rajya Sabha this afternoon for consideration and passing.&nbsp;

However, as soon as an effort was made to take this Bill up, an uproar erupted in the house.

TMC leader Derek O Brien said all opposition parties unanimously want the Bill to be sent to a select committee for proper scrutiny.&nbsp;

Echoing similar sentiments, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, said, "This is such an important bill which can positively or negatively affect the lives of crores of people can`t be passed just like this without going to a select committee."

As the House was not in order, deputy chairman Harivansh adjourned the house for 15 minutes. But when the House reconvened, uproar continued.&nbsp;

Congress leader Anand Sharma said that legislative scrutiny was critical of the Bill before it could be taken up by the house. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affair Vijay Goel attacked the opposition for stalling the Bill, saying they had no sympathy for the Muslim women.&nbsp;

Amid the uproar, Harivansh adjourned the house for the day.

A united Opposition on Monday thwarted the government's attempt to push the instant Triple Talaq Bill in the Rajya Sabha as it insisted on referring it to the select committee of Parliament.

A united Opposition on Monday thwarted the government's attempt to push the instant Triple Talaq Bill in the Rajya Sabha as it insisted on referring it to the select committee of Parliament. The Bill, which proposes to criminalize the practice of Muslims men giving divorce to their wives by uttering the word "Talaq" thrice in quick succession, was passed by Lok Sabha three days back. It needs to be passed by the Rajya Sabha to become a law. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2018 was slated to be taken up by the Rajya Sabha this afternoon for consideration and passing. However, as soon as an effort was made to take this Bill up, an uproar erupted in the house. TMC leader Derek O Brien said all opposition parties unanimously want the Bill to be sent to a select committee for proper scrutiny. Echoing similar sentiments, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, said, "This is such an important bill which can positively or negatively affect the lives of crores of people can`t be passed just like this without going to a select committee." As the House was not in order, deputy chairman Harivansh adjourned the house for 15 minutes. But when the House reconvened, uproar continued. Congress leader Anand Sharma said that legislative scrutiny was critical of the Bill before it could be taken up by the house. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affair Vijay Goel attacked the opposition for stalling the Bill, saying they had no sympathy for the Muslim women. Amid the uproar, Harivansh adjourned the house for the day.

Rajya Sabha adjourned till January 2, opposition stalls triple talaq bill

Asserting that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opinion-why-objections-of-aimplb-on-triple-talaq-is-not-valid-28450">triple talaq bill</a> is about "Insaaniyat aur insaaf", the government on Thursday said the legislation should not be weighed on the scales of politics while a united opposition strongly demanded that it should be referred to a<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/3-year-prison-for-triple-talaq-in-india-7125"> joint select committee of Parliament,</a> dubbing its provisions "unconstitutional".

The debate on the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, which was tabled by Prasad last week, began in Lok Sabha amidst exchange of barbs between the treasury benches and the Opposition.

With opposition parties, including the Congress and the Trinamool Congress demanding that the bill is sent to a select committee for greater scrutiny, Prasad said the government has already taken note of concerns expressed by members earlier and amended the bill accordingly.

Prasad told the Lok Sabha that the bill has made the offence compoundable, meaning that the case can be withdrawn if the man and his estranged wife reach a compromise and that only the wife and her close relatives can file an FIR, ruling out the law's misuse.

"Don't weigh the bill on the scales of politics. The bill is about Insaaniyat aur insaaf (humanity and justice)," he said, urging lawmakers of different parties to speak in one voice to support the legislation.

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Ravi Shankar Prasad, Law Minister in Lok Sabha: This bill is not against any community, religion or belief. This bill is for the rights of women and about justice <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/IjgoI2U1Tl">pic.twitter.com/IjgoI2U1Tl</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1078209943545790464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Parliament had earlier unanimously supported laws, including the one prescribing death in rape cases, aimed at giving justice to women, and the triple talaq bill is also a step towards justice for women, he said.&nbsp;

As soon as the House met at 2 pm after an adjournment to take up the bill, Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said that it be referred to a joint select committee of the two Houses for greater scrutiny. He said several provisions of the bill were "unconstitutional".

AIADMK leader P Venugopal, TMC's Sudip Bandhopadhyay, AIMIM's Assaduddin Owaisi and Supriya Sule (NCP) also made similar demands.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said an earlier bill on triple talaq was discussed and passed by the Lok Sabha. Therefore, members can flag issues during the debate. She said all of a sudden a demand cannot be made to send it to a committee.

Opposing the bill in its current form, Congress MP Sushmita Dev said the real purpose of the bill was not to empower Muslim women but to "penalise" Muslim men and added criminalisation of triple talaq goes against the Supreme Court verdict.

"In the name of empowerment you (the government) has given nothing but a criminal case to women...The aim of the bill is not to empower Muslim women but to penalise Muslim men," she said.

The fresh Bill to make the practice of triple talaq among Muslims a penal offence was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 17 to replace an ordinance issued in September.

Under the proposed law, giving instant triple talaq will be illegal and void, and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband. 
The fresh bill will supersede an earlier bill passed in Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha.&nbsp;

The earlier bill was approved by the Lower House. But amid opposition by some parties in the upper house, the government had then cleared some amendments, including the introduction of a provision of bail, to make it more acceptable.

However, as the bill continued to face resistance in the Rajya Sabha, the government issued an ordinance in September, incorporating the amendments.

An ordinance has a life of six months. But from the day a session begins, it has to be replaced by a bill which should be passed by Parliament within 42 days (six weeks), else it lapses.

The government is at liberty to re-promulgate the ordinance if the bill fails to get through Parliament.

Asserting that the triple talaq bill is about "Insaaniyat aur insaaf", the government on Thursday said the legislation should not be weighed on the scales of politics while a united opposition strongly demanded that it should be referred to a joint select committee of Parliament, dubbing its provisions "unconstitutional".

Asserting that the triple talaq bill is about "Insaaniyat aur insaaf", the government on Thursday said the legislation should not be weighed on the scales of politics while a united opposition strongly demanded that it should be referred to a joint select committee of Parliament, dubbing its provisions "unconstitutional". The debate on the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, which was tabled by Prasad last week, began in Lok Sabha amidst exchange of barbs between the treasury benches and the Opposition. With opposition parties, including the Congress and the Trinamool Congress demanding that the bill is sent to a select committee for greater scrutiny, Prasad said the government has already taken note of concerns expressed by members earlier and amended the bill accordingly. Prasad told the Lok Sabha that the bill has made the offence compoundable, meaning that the case can be withdrawn if the man and his estranged wife reach a compromise and that only the wife and her close relatives can file an FIR, ruling out the law's misuse. "Don't weigh the bill on the scales of politics. The bill is about Insaaniyat aur insaaf (humanity and justice)," he said, urging lawmakers of different parties to speak in one voice to support the legislation. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Law Minister in Lok Sabha: This bill is not against any community, religion or belief. This bill is for the rights of women and about justice #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/IjgoI2U1Tl — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2018 × Parliament had earlier unanimously supported laws, including the one prescribing death in rape cases, aimed at giving justice to women, and the triple talaq bill is also a step towards justice for women, he said. As soon as the House met at 2 pm after an adjournment to take up the bill, Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said that it be referred to a joint select committee of the two Houses for greater scrutiny. He said several provisions of the bill were "unconstitutional". AIADMK leader P Venugopal, TMC's Sudip Bandhopadhyay, AIMIM's Assaduddin Owaisi and Supriya Sule (NCP) also made similar demands. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said an earlier bill on triple talaq was discussed and passed by the Lok Sabha. Therefore, members can flag issues during the debate. She said all of a sudden a demand cannot be made to send it to a committee. Opposing the bill in its current form, Congress MP Sushmita Dev said the real purpose of the bill was not to empower Muslim women but to "penalise" Muslim men and added criminalisation of triple talaq goes against the Supreme Court verdict. "In the name of empowerment you (the government) has given nothing but a criminal case to women...The aim of the bill is not to empower Muslim women but to penalise Muslim men," she said. The fresh Bill to make the practice of triple talaq among Muslims a penal offence was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 17 to replace an ordinance issued in September. Under the proposed law, giving instant triple talaq will be illegal and void, and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband. The fresh bill will supersede an earlier bill passed in Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha. The earlier bill was approved by the Lower House. But amid opposition by some parties in the upper house, the government had then cleared some amendments, including the introduction of a provision of bail, to make it more acceptable. However, as the bill continued to face resistance in the Rajya Sabha, the government issued an ordinance in September, incorporating the amendments. An ordinance has a life of six months. But from the day a session begins, it has to be replaced by a bill which should be passed by Parliament within 42 days (six weeks), else it lapses. The government is at liberty to re-promulgate the ordinance if the bill fails to get through Parliament.

Triple talaq debate: Centre says don't use a political prism, opposition wants bill to go to parliament panel

After sweeping the Assembly elections in Telangana, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) has revived his efforts for a non-Congress and non-BJP Federal Front.

Rao, who was instrumental in the formation of the Telangana state, has asserted that his party will play a crucial role in national politics. KCR &nbsp;has said that he intends to give a new definition to the national scenario - just like Telangana which stands a non-Congress and non-BJP state.

KCR's victory in the state Assembly polls was no less than a historic one, bagging 88 seats in the 119-member House.&nbsp;

On Monday, KCR met Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. However, both Patnaik and Mamata have not committed their participation in the Federal Front yet. Hiding his visible disappointment, Rao said their dialogue will continue for an alternative front to the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliances.

Carrying on with his mission of creating a non-Congress Federal Front, KCR will now meet Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
On the other hand, KCR's arch-rival and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu is also running pillar to post to unite all the like-minded Opposition parties to take on the BJP in 2019 elections.&nbsp;

In a significant move, Naidu dropped his 'non-Congress Third Front' plank and approached party president Rahul Gandhi to garner his support for the Grand Alliance. Putting aside over three decades of rivalry, both the leaders even addressed public meetings together as part of their campaign for just-concluded Telangana Assembly polls.

Mamata Banerjee, a key interlocutor among Opposition parties, too has been trying to bring anti-BJP parties under one umbrella. Naidu and Mamata have been in sync with each other to achieve their common goal - demolishing BJP. Therefore, it's unlikely that Mamata will support KCR's Federal Front (Regional Federation) over the national-level Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan).

Furthermore, seasoned leaders like Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah have authorised Chandrababu Naidu to speak to Opposition leaders to devise the future strategy for United Opposition. DMK chief Stalin has already proposed the Congress president's name as United Opposition's PM candidate. Naidu also has the support of Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Here is another reason which might hold back political parties from supporting KCR - the Telangana chief minister is accused of acting as team B of BJP-led NDA and trying to weaken the proposed Mahagathbandhan.

Moreover, after Congress's triumph in the recently held Assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi has emerged as a confident and formidable leader. It is nearly impossible for Opposition leaders to ignore the Gandhi scion.&nbsp;

KCR has indeed proved his mettle by leading the struggle for Telangana and forming government in the state for the second time, however, only seasoned politicians coming together on one platform - Mahagathbandhan, can put up a strong candidature against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has done some unparalleled work in the last four and a half years. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

After sweeping the Assembly elections in Telangana, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) has revived his efforts for a non-Congress and non-BJP Federal Front.

After sweeping the Assembly elections in Telangana, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) has revived his efforts for a non-Congress and non-BJP Federal Front. Rao, who was instrumental in the formation of the Telangana state, has asserted that his party will play a crucial role in national politics. KCR has said that he intends to give a new definition to the national scenario - just like Telangana which stands a non-Congress and non-BJP state. KCR's victory in the state Assembly polls was no less than a historic one, bagging 88 seats in the 119-member House. On Monday, KCR met Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. However, both Patnaik and Mamata have not committed their participation in the Federal Front yet. Hiding his visible disappointment, Rao said their dialogue will continue for an alternative front to the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliances. Carrying on with his mission of creating a non-Congress Federal Front, KCR will now meet Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati. On the other hand, KCR's arch-rival and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu is also running pillar to post to unite all the like-minded Opposition parties to take on the BJP in 2019 elections. In a significant move, Naidu dropped his 'non-Congress Third Front' plank and approached party president Rahul Gandhi to garner his support for the Grand Alliance. Putting aside over three decades of rivalry, both the leaders even addressed public meetings together as part of their campaign for just-concluded Telangana Assembly polls. Mamata Banerjee, a key interlocutor among Opposition parties, too has been trying to bring anti-BJP parties under one umbrella. Naidu and Mamata have been in sync with each other to achieve their common goal - demolishing BJP. Therefore, it's unlikely that Mamata will support KCR's Federal Front (Regional Federation) over the national-level Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan). Furthermore, seasoned leaders like Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah have authorised Chandrababu Naidu to speak to Opposition leaders to devise the future strategy for United Opposition. DMK chief Stalin has already proposed the Congress president's name as United Opposition's PM candidate. Naidu also has the support of Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Here is another reason which might hold back political parties from supporting KCR - the Telangana chief minister is accused of acting as team B of BJP-led NDA and trying to weaken the proposed Mahagathbandhan. Moreover, after Congress's triumph in the recently held Assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi has emerged as a confident and formidable leader. It is nearly impossible for Opposition leaders to ignore the Gandhi scion. KCR has indeed proved his mettle by leading the struggle for Telangana and forming government in the state for the second time, however, only seasoned politicians coming together on one platform - Mahagathbandhan, can put up a strong candidature against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has done some unparalleled work in the last four and a half years. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

KCR is trying hard, but is a non-Congress Federal Front possible?

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-opposition-alliance-demands-action-over-election-attacks-185453">Bangladesh</a>'s main opposition website has been shut down, the party said Saturday, amid accusation the government is muzzling dissent ahead of next week's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/facebook-and-twitter-remove-pages-and-accounts-in-bangladesh-ahead-of-election-185612">general election.</a>

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said authorities had closed the site since last week when they shut 54 news portals and websites for what they claimed were security reasons.

"We've written to the Election Commission to open the website. But it has not been opened yet," BNP spokesman Nazrul Islam Khan told AFP.

The shutdown has hit the party's election campaign just days before the December 30 polls.

"We cannot communicate with our supporters," he said.

The BNP is part of the opposition National Unity Front alliance, which is contesting the polls after boycotting the 2014 election. It has emerged as the main challenger to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's bid for record fourth term in office.

Hasina's government has been accused by civil society and rights groups of drifting towards authoritarianism, silencing dissent and the press by using an onerous digital-security law.

At least six people have been killed in election campaign clashes between supporters of Hasina's ruling Awami League and the BNP, whose incarcerated veteran leader Khaleda Zia was last month handed another stiff jail term.

The Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission could not confirm whether the BNP website was among the 54 sites it blocked last week.

But commission chairman Jahurul Haque accused the website of bad taste. "It is obscene and indecent," he said.

In an email to the Election Commission, the BTRC, however, said the website was closed following orders from two intelligence agencies for containing "outlawed" materials, according to a report by the online edition of the mass-circulation Bengali daily Jugantor.

BNP spokesman Khan rejected allegations that the website contained obscene materials.

Last week the government blocked more than 50 websites and news portals for what it said were security reasons, prompting an outcry from rights advocates.

BTRC spokesman Zakir Khan said the websites were "spreading propaganda" and "destabilising the state".&nbsp;

A BNP spokesman has said 18 of its online activists have been detained in recent months, including a former air force officer who was arrested on Thursday.

Human Rights Watch said the arrests and the crackdown on free speech including widespread surveillance contributed to "a widely described climate of fear" ahead of the election.

"The authorities have used a number of broadly worded laws arbitrarily to constrain journalists, restrict the free speech of ordinary citizens, and target the government's opponents and critics," the New York-based group said.

"The government has ordered several units and agencies to censor the internet, monitor online communications, and detain users accused of 'spreading rumours' or 'anti-state activity'," it said.

This week Facebook said it had suspended nine pages and six accounts it had linked to "individuals associated with the Bangladesh government" and which posted anti-opposition content while masquerading as independent news sources.

Bangladesh's main opposition website has been shut down, the party said Saturday, amid accusation the government is muzzling dissent ahead of next week's general election.

Bangladesh's main opposition website has been shut down, the party said Saturday, amid accusation the government is muzzling dissent ahead of next week's general election. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said authorities had closed the site since last week when they shut 54 news portals and websites for what they claimed were security reasons. "We've written to the Election Commission to open the website. But it has not been opened yet," BNP spokesman Nazrul Islam Khan told AFP. The shutdown has hit the party's election campaign just days before the December 30 polls. "We cannot communicate with our supporters," he said. The BNP is part of the opposition National Unity Front alliance, which is contesting the polls after boycotting the 2014 election. It has emerged as the main challenger to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's bid for record fourth term in office. Hasina's government has been accused by civil society and rights groups of drifting towards authoritarianism, silencing dissent and the press by using an onerous digital-security law. At least six people have been killed in election campaign clashes between supporters of Hasina's ruling Awami League and the BNP, whose incarcerated veteran leader Khaleda Zia was last month handed another stiff jail term. The Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission could not confirm whether the BNP website was among the 54 sites it blocked last week. But commission chairman Jahurul Haque accused the website of bad taste. "It is obscene and indecent," he said. In an email to the Election Commission, the BTRC, however, said the website was closed following orders from two intelligence agencies for containing "outlawed" materials, according to a report by the online edition of the mass-circulation Bengali daily Jugantor. BNP spokesman Khan rejected allegations that the website contained obscene materials. Last week the government blocked more than 50 websites and news portals for what it said were security reasons, prompting an outcry from rights advocates. BTRC spokesman Zakir Khan said the websites were "spreading propaganda" and "destabilising the state". A BNP spokesman has said 18 of its online activists have been detained in recent months, including a former air force officer who was arrested on Thursday. Human Rights Watch said the arrests and the crackdown on free speech including widespread surveillance contributed to "a widely described climate of fear" ahead of the election. "The authorities have used a number of broadly worded laws arbitrarily to constrain journalists, restrict the free speech of ordinary citizens, and target the government's opponents and critics," the New York-based group said. "The government has ordered several units and agencies to censor the internet, monitor online communications, and detain users accused of 'spreading rumours' or 'anti-state activity'," it said. This week Facebook said it had suspended nine pages and six accounts it had linked to "individuals associated with the Bangladesh government" and which posted anti-opposition content while masquerading as independent news sources.

Bangladesh opposition website shut down ahead of polls: Report

Political differences came into open at the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gst-council-slashes-rates-of-7-items-from-28-jaitley-calls-meeting-fruitful-185843">GST Council meeting </a>on Saturday with finance ministers of opposition-ruled states objecting to rate cut, citing revenue consideration but finally agreeing after a BJP minister proposed that the minutes be recorded and compared with their speeches delivered outside.

Chattisgarh and Rajasthan, where the Congress came to power earlier this month, sent only officers to attend the GST Council meeting, Madhya Pradesh did not send any representative, sources said.&nbsp;

The GST Council after much haggling agreed to cut rates on 23 items of common consumption, which will have an annual revenue implication of Rs 5,500 crore.

Sources said ministers of the opposition-ruled states argued that if a rate cut is to be done at this juncture, then the Centre should agree to compensate states for revenue loss on account of GST implementation for a period beyond the stipulated five years.

Kerala, sources said, said that with revenues not increasing, the time is not right to cut rates.

West Bengal, which had said that it wanted an 18 per cent rate for goods other than luxury and sin goods, in Saturday's meeting said that this was not the time for a rate cut.

However, BJP-ruled Assam pointed out that all opposition ministers in their speeches say that Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates should be lowered to 18 per cent from 28 per cent, but participating in the GST Council deliberation they oppose rate cuts.&nbsp;

The BJP minister demanded that the position taken by all the state ministers in the Council meetings be put in the minutes of the meeting so that it can be compared with their public speeches in future.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is understood to have intervened to say that only the views expressed by ministers during the Council meeting should be taken into consideration.

Sources said state ministers finally agreed to discuss and go by the suggestions made by the fitment committee or officers committee on rate cut.

The GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister and comprising his state counterparts, Saturday decided to cut rates on 23 goods and services, including movie tickets, TV and monitor screens and power banks, and exempted frozen and preserved vegetables from the levy. The reduced rates would be applicable from January 1, 2019.&nbsp;

In the first eight months (April-November) of the current fiscal, the government has mopped up over Rs 7.76 lakh crore from GST. The 2018-19 budget had estimated annual GST collection at Rs 13.48 lakh crore, which means a monthly target of Rs 1.12 lakh crore.

Briefing reporters after the Council's meet, Jaitley said the average monthly revenue under GST has risen from Rs 89,000 crore in the last fiscal, to around Rs 95,000-96,000 crore in the current fiscal.&nbsp;

Also, compensation to be paid to the states has come down in the current fiscal.

He said a Group of Ministers would be set up to study the data of those states which are not showing improvement of revenues post GST implementation. The GoM would take expert assistance from NIPFP.

States which have shown improvement in tax collection included Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu while laggard states included Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.&nbsp;

Also while consuming states like North East have shown improvement in revenue, manufacturing and consuming states like Maharashtra and West Bengal have shown significant improvement.&nbsp;

Political differences came into open at the GST Council meeting on Saturday with finance ministers of opposition-ruled states objecting to rate cut, citing revenue consideration but finally agreeing after a BJP minister proposed that the minutes be recorded and compared with their speeches delivered outside.

Political differences came into open at the GST Council meeting on Saturday with finance ministers of opposition-ruled states objecting to rate cut, citing revenue consideration but finally agreeing after a BJP minister proposed that the minutes be recorded and compared with their speeches delivered outside. Chattisgarh and Rajasthan, where the Congress came to power earlier this month, sent only officers to attend the GST Council meeting, Madhya Pradesh did not send any representative, sources said. The GST Council after much haggling agreed to cut rates on 23 items of common consumption, which will have an annual revenue implication of Rs 5,500 crore. Sources said ministers of the opposition-ruled states argued that if a rate cut is to be done at this juncture, then the Centre should agree to compensate states for revenue loss on account of GST implementation for a period beyond the stipulated five years. Kerala, sources said, said that with revenues not increasing, the time is not right to cut rates. West Bengal, which had said that it wanted an 18 per cent rate for goods other than luxury and sin goods, in Saturday's meeting said that this was not the time for a rate cut. However, BJP-ruled Assam pointed out that all opposition ministers in their speeches say that Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates should be lowered to 18 per cent from 28 per cent, but participating in the GST Council deliberation they oppose rate cuts. The BJP minister demanded that the position taken by all the state ministers in the Council meetings be put in the minutes of the meeting so that it can be compared with their public speeches in future. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is understood to have intervened to say that only the views expressed by ministers during the Council meeting should be taken into consideration. Sources said state ministers finally agreed to discuss and go by the suggestions made by the fitment committee or officers committee on rate cut. The GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister and comprising his state counterparts, Saturday decided to cut rates on 23 goods and services, including movie tickets, TV and monitor screens and power banks, and exempted frozen and preserved vegetables from the levy. The reduced rates would be applicable from January 1, 2019. In the first eight months (April-November) of the current fiscal, the government has mopped up over Rs 7.76 lakh crore from GST. The 2018-19 budget had estimated annual GST collection at Rs 13.48 lakh crore, which means a monthly target of Rs 1.12 lakh crore. Briefing reporters after the Council's meet, Jaitley said the average monthly revenue under GST has risen from Rs 89,000 crore in the last fiscal, to around Rs 95,000-96,000 crore in the current fiscal. Also, compensation to be paid to the states has come down in the current fiscal. He said a Group of Ministers would be set up to study the data of those states which are not showing improvement of revenues post GST implementation. The GoM would take expert assistance from NIPFP. States which have shown improvement in tax collection included Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu while laggard states included Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Also while consuming states like North East have shown improvement in revenue, manufacturing and consuming states like Maharashtra and West Bengal have shown significant improvement.

Opposition-ruled states oppose rate cuts in GST citing revenue consideration

Uttar Pradesh is all set to organise the second ground-breaking ceremony next week to launch 158 projects entailing investment of around&nbsp;Rs.&nbsp;1 lakh crore as part of efforts to bring proposals on the ground, according to an official.

The state government in July had conducted a similar ceremony for the launch of investment projects worth&nbsp;Rs.&nbsp;60,000 crore for which initial MoUs were signed during the investor summit held in February.

"158 projects worth over&nbsp;Rs.&nbsp;one lakh crore have been identified that are to be launched in the second ground breaking ceremony to be organised on November 2-3 in Lucknow. Directives have been issued to officers to meet investors and resolve their problems, if any," an official spokesman told PTI.

According to Chief Secretary Anup Chandra Pandey, officials have been asked to investors should be issued 'letter of comfort' and other departmental clearances timely so that they did not have to face and problems.

"We have asked officials for spot inspection of construction works of projects which have been launched in the first phase (in July) and hold a special three-day campaign to resolve problems of investors," he said.

MoUs for the projects, that are to be launched in the second ground breaking ceremony were signed by the government in the investor summit.

Government officials are meeting representatives of the shortlisted companies to make the programme a success.

The opposition, however, termed this launch as a "political gimmick".

SP leader and MLC Rajpal Kashyap said that "as 2019 Lok Sabha polls are near this is nothing but a political gimmick by the BJP to confuse voters. Everyone one knows the ground reality. Project launched by the previous SP regime are being repackaged by the present regime and people of the state are aware of them."​​​​​​<iframe data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="1" id="google_ads_iframe_/1068322/NDTV_News_ROS_Native_Outstream_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/1068322/NDTV_News_ROS_Native_Outstream_0" scrolling="no" srcdoc="" title="3rd party ad content" width="1"></iframe>

Congress leader Mukesh Singh Chauhan echoed the view, stating that "people are fed up with promises and gimmicks. Ground reality is different and people of all sections of the society are suffering due to faulty policies of the Centre and state governments".

However, refuting the allegations, BJP spokesman Shalabh Mani Tripathi said that the event will once again prove "faith of investors in the Yogi Adityanath government".

"Unlike previous regimes our government is committed for all round development of the state. Initiatives taken by the government have started yielding results and&nbsp;Rs.&nbsp;1 lakh crore investment projects launch in November is enough to silence opposition," Mr Tripathi said.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had said that ground breaking ceremonies, similar to the first one, should be held every two to three months.

While the government had signed MoUs worth more than&nbsp;Rs.&nbsp;4 lakh crore in February, it launched projects worth&nbsp;Rs.&nbsp;60,000 crore in five months in a massive ceremony presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

More than 80 prominent industrialists including those of large groups like Reliance, Mahindra and Adani had participated in the event.

Representatives of Paytm, Gail, HPCL, TCS, ACC Cement, Metro Cash and Carry, PTC Industries and Sriram groups were also present in the July ceremony.

The PM had launched 57 projects under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, 26 projects under Smart City scheme and 11 projects under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Urban).

Uttar Pradesh is all set to organise the second ground-breaking ceremony next week to launch 158 projects entailing investment of around Rs. 1 lakh crore as part of efforts to bring proposals on the ground, according to an official.

Uttar Pradesh is all set to organise the second ground-breaking ceremony next week to launch 158 projects entailing investment of around Rs. 1 lakh crore as part of efforts to bring proposals on the ground, according to an official. The state government in July had conducted a similar ceremony for the launch of investment projects worth Rs. 60,000 crore for which initial MoUs were signed during the investor summit held in February. "158 projects worth over Rs. one lakh crore have been identified that are to be launched in the second ground breaking ceremony to be organised on November 2-3 in Lucknow. Directives have been issued to officers to meet investors and resolve their problems, if any," an official spokesman told PTI. According to Chief Secretary Anup Chandra Pandey, officials have been asked to investors should be issued 'letter of comfort' and other departmental clearances timely so that they did not have to face and problems. "We have asked officials for spot inspection of construction works of projects which have been launched in the first phase (in July) and hold a special three-day campaign to resolve problems of investors," he said. MoUs for the projects, that are to be launched in the second ground breaking ceremony were signed by the government in the investor summit. Government officials are meeting representatives of the shortlisted companies to make the programme a success. The opposition, however, termed this launch as a "political gimmick". SP leader and MLC Rajpal Kashyap said that "as 2019 Lok Sabha polls are near this is nothing but a political gimmick by the BJP to confuse voters. Everyone one knows the ground reality. Project launched by the previous SP regime are being repackaged by the present regime and people of the state are aware of them." Congress leader Mukesh Singh Chauhan echoed the view, stating that "people are fed up with promises and gimmicks. Ground reality is different and people of all sections of the society are suffering due to faulty policies of the Centre and state governments". However, refuting the allegations, BJP spokesman Shalabh Mani Tripathi said that the event will once again prove "faith of investors in the Yogi Adityanath government". "Unlike previous regimes our government is committed for all round development of the state. Initiatives taken by the government have started yielding results and Rs. 1 lakh crore investment projects launch in November is enough to silence opposition," Mr Tripathi said. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had said that ground breaking ceremonies, similar to the first one, should be held every two to three months. While the government had signed MoUs worth more than Rs. 4 lakh crore in February, it launched projects worth Rs. 60,000 crore in five months in a massive ceremony presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. More than 80 prominent industrialists including those of large groups like Reliance, Mahindra and Adani had participated in the event. Representatives of Paytm, Gail, HPCL, TCS, ACC Cement, Metro Cash and Carry, PTC Industries and Sriram groups were also present in the July ceremony. The PM had launched 57 projects under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, 26 projects under Smart City scheme and 11 projects under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Urban).

Projects for 1 lakh crore soon in UP, opposition calls it 'political gimmick'

Opposition parties Monday attacked the Modi government over the feud between the CBI director and his deputy, with Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleging that the probe agency was being used as a “weapon of political vendetta” under the current dispensation and was in “terminal decline”.&nbsp;

The feud between CBI Director Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana turned murkier with the arrest of Devender Kumar, a deputy superintendent of police in the special investigation team headed by Asthana.

The Congress said there is a serious credibility crisis in the CBI with its top officers accusing each other of massive corruption and blamed “vested interests” within the government for bringing the agency to “such a pass”. Gandhi alleged the CBI was being used as a “weapon of political vendetta” under the Modi government and that the premier investigation agency was on a terminal decline and “at war with itself”.

Taking to Twitter, he cited a media report in which the Central Bureau of Investigation’s second-in-command, Asthana, has been named as an accused in a bribery case.

“The PM’s blue-eyed boy, Gujarat cadre officer, of Godra SIT fame, infiltrated as No. 2 into the CBI, has now been caught taking bribes (sic),” Gandhi tweeted. “Under this PM, the CBI is a weapon of political vendetta. An institution in terminal decline that’s at war with itself,” he said.

Terming the issue “very serious”, Congress leader Sachin Pilot accused the government of interference in the CBI and asked why it was silent on the issue.

“How do we trust the CBI to look at corruption issues when their top people are themselves involved and allegations are flying thick and fast? The fact that it has reached this point tells you how long and how deep the rot may be within this government,” Pilot told reporters at the Congress headquarters.

The CBI’s top officers are accusing each other of massive corruption, he said, questioning the sanctity and the credibility of the government and the &nbsp;CBI to function in an “honest, unbiased transparent way”. &nbsp;“So there are serious credibility issues and I think there are vested interests within the government and within the CBI that have brought this agency to such a pass,” Pilot said.

As far as the internal functioning of the CBI is concerned, it is apparent that there is “power play and a blame game going on”, he said. Later Congress leader Anand Sharma tweeted: “Under the watch of PM Modi it is a rotten Affairs of state. CBI, ED &amp; DRI were reduced to compliant political tools to target political opponents. The politicisation and institutional corruption is total. New twist in CBI saga finally destroys it’s credibility.”

“Every institution including intelligence agencies have been compromised or undermined. Remember only last week all institutional sanctity was destroyed with Cabinet Secretary, Army Navy Airforce Chiefs, IB and RAW all subordinated to a political appointee NSA. A power hungry PM has inflicted a lasting damage to India’s Institutions,” he claimed.

The Congress has been attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the appointment of Asthana as CBI special director. &nbsp;In an unprecedented move, the agency has booked its special director Asthana for allegedly receiving bribes from middlemen to give relief to a businessman being probed by him in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, officials had said Sunday.

Responding to the developments, the CPI said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should clarify the situation in CBI as the credibility of the premier investigation agency is at stake.

CPI national secretary D Raja said questions are being raised over CBI’s functioning after Asthana was booked by the agency last week. Asthana, too, had written about 10 cases of alleged corruption and irregularities against CBI Director Alok Verma in his letters to the Cabinet Secretary and the Central Vigilance Commission about a month ago.

Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ghanshyam Tiwari, in a tweet, said, “Governments that run like a Mafia also fight like a Mafia! Watch the #MafiaWar that BJP has led CBI into… #CBIVsCBI (sic).”

Opposition parties Monday attacked the Modi government over the feud between the CBI director and his deputy, with Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleging that the probe agency was being used as a “weapon of political vendetta” under the current dispensation and was in “terminal decline”.

Opposition parties Monday attacked the Modi government over the feud between the CBI director and his deputy, with Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleging that the probe agency was being used as a “weapon of political vendetta” under the current dispensation and was in “terminal decline”. The feud between CBI Director Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana turned murkier with the arrest of Devender Kumar, a deputy superintendent of police in the special investigation team headed by Asthana. The Congress said there is a serious credibility crisis in the CBI with its top officers accusing each other of massive corruption and blamed “vested interests” within the government for bringing the agency to “such a pass”. Gandhi alleged the CBI was being used as a “weapon of political vendetta” under the Modi government and that the premier investigation agency was on a terminal decline and “at war with itself”. Taking to Twitter, he cited a media report in which the Central Bureau of Investigation’s second-in-command, Asthana, has been named as an accused in a bribery case. “The PM’s blue-eyed boy, Gujarat cadre officer, of Godra SIT fame, infiltrated as No. 2 into the CBI, has now been caught taking bribes (sic),” Gandhi tweeted. “Under this PM, the CBI is a weapon of political vendetta. An institution in terminal decline that’s at war with itself,” he said. Terming the issue “very serious”, Congress leader Sachin Pilot accused the government of interference in the CBI and asked why it was silent on the issue. “How do we trust the CBI to look at corruption issues when their top people are themselves involved and allegations are flying thick and fast? The fact that it has reached this point tells you how long and how deep the rot may be within this government,” Pilot told reporters at the Congress headquarters. The CBI’s top officers are accusing each other of massive corruption, he said, questioning the sanctity and the credibility of the government and the CBI to function in an “honest, unbiased transparent way”. “So there are serious credibility issues and I think there are vested interests within the government and within the CBI that have brought this agency to such a pass,” Pilot said. As far as the internal functioning of the CBI is concerned, it is apparent that there is “power play and a blame game going on”, he said. Later Congress leader Anand Sharma tweeted: “Under the watch of PM Modi it is a rotten Affairs of state. CBI, ED & DRI were reduced to compliant political tools to target political opponents. The politicisation and institutional corruption is total. New twist in CBI saga finally destroys it’s credibility.” “Every institution including intelligence agencies have been compromised or undermined. Remember only last week all institutional sanctity was destroyed with Cabinet Secretary, Army Navy Airforce Chiefs, IB and RAW all subordinated to a political appointee NSA. A power hungry PM has inflicted a lasting damage to India’s Institutions,” he claimed. The Congress has been attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the appointment of Asthana as CBI special director. In an unprecedented move, the agency has booked its special director Asthana for allegedly receiving bribes from middlemen to give relief to a businessman being probed by him in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, officials had said Sunday. Responding to the developments, the CPI said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should clarify the situation in CBI as the credibility of the premier investigation agency is at stake. CPI national secretary D Raja said questions are being raised over CBI’s functioning after Asthana was booked by the agency last week. Asthana, too, had written about 10 cases of alleged corruption and irregularities against CBI Director Alok Verma in his letters to the Cabinet Secretary and the Central Vigilance Commission about a month ago. Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ghanshyam Tiwari, in a tweet, said, “Governments that run like a Mafia also fight like a Mafia! Watch the #MafiaWar that BJP has led CBI into… #CBIVsCBI (sic).”

Opposition parties attack govt over CBI ‘feud’; Rahul Gandhi says agency at war with itself under Modi rule

The Opposition party Federal Socialist Forum- Nepal (FSF-N) will be joining the Central Government, led by the Communist Party of Nepal, to ink two agreements.

"As per the agreement inked in the presence of the two sitting chairman of the newly-merged parties, the Communist Party of Nepal KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal on the issues pertaining the amendment in the constitution will be addressed on basis of mutual understanding," the Prime Minister's Personal Secretariat informed.

Prime Minister Oli has been constantly making a promise to amend the constitution on the basis of importance and mutuality. FSF-N was previously with a long-time disgruntled party alliance known as the Federal Alliance, but later it was differed as the FSF-N Chairman and the then co-coordinator of the alliance Upendra Yadav was ousted from the same.

Though the FSF-N differs from the Rashtriya Janata Party- Nepal (RJP-N) they still have a common demand to amend the constitution.&nbsp 
&nbsp

Though the FSF-N differs from the Rashtriya Janata Party- Nepal (RJP-N) they still have a common demand to amend the constitution

The Opposition party Federal Socialist Forum- Nepal (FSF-N) will be joining the Central Government, led by the Communist Party of Nepal, to ink two agreements. "As per the agreement inked in the presence of the two sitting chairman of the newly-merged parties, the Communist Party of Nepal KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal on the issues pertaining the amendment in the constitution will be addressed on basis of mutual understanding," the Prime Minister's Personal Secretariat informed. Prime Minister Oli has been constantly making a promise to amend the constitution on the basis of importance and mutuality. FSF-N was previously with a long-time disgruntled party alliance known as the Federal Alliance, but later it was differed as the FSF-N Chairman and the then co-coordinator of the alliance Upendra Yadav was ousted from the same. Though the FSF-N differs from the Rashtriya Janata Party- Nepal (RJP-N) they still have a common demand to amend the constitution.

Nepal: Opposition to join Oli-led government

The opposition launched a multi-pronged attack on the Narendra Modi-led government on its fourth anniversary today, saying it "failed" to fulfil its promises, had no achievement to highlight, and that the prime minister-BJP president duo was "harmful" for the country.

The Congress described the four years of the BJP government as one of "treachery, trickery, revenge and lies", while the Left parties, the SP and the BSP said all sections of the society suffered due its "failures".

While the Congress described BJP as "Betrayal Janata Party" for failing to deliver on its promises, party chief Rahul Gandhi led the attack by mocking the NDA government's performance and calling Narendra Modi a "master communicator" who struggled with complex issues and had a short attention span.

Taking to Twitter, he gave grades to the BJP-led NDA government in a mock report card of the Prime Minister. While he gave 'F' to the Modi government for agriculture, foreign policy and job creation, he gave 'A+' to the prime minister for 'slogan creation and self-promotion'.

"4 year Report Card. Agriculture: F, Foreign Policy: F, Fuel Prices: F, Job Creation: F, Slogan Creation: A+, Self Promotion: A+, Yoga: B-. Remarks: Master communicator struggles with complex issues short attention span," Mr Gandhi said on Twitter.

Separately at a joint press conference, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot and Randeep Surjewala released a booklet, titled 'India Betrayed', to mark the occasion, in which it posed 40 questions and alleged that an atmosphere of fear and hatred had been created under the NDA rule.

The Congress observed "Betrayal Day" to mark four years of the Modi government by organising protests in all district headquarters in the country. The party also released a short-film on the prevailing atmosphere in the country.

"People now know that the Modi-(BJP president) Amit Shah duo is harmful for the country. The four years of the Modi government can be defined in four terms -- treachery, trickery, revenge and lies," AICC communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said.

He said while the Prime Minister is in perpetual campaign mode, he refuses to understand peoples' pain and he has accumulated publicity but India only accumulated pain.

Referring to alleged atrocities on Dalits, tribals, minorities and women, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters, "Under Modi's Government, nobody is safe. Everybody is having sleepless nights including all of you. Whatever you think, you cannot express. Whatever you want to write, you cannot write."

Highlighting the importance of national security, he said PM Modi exploited this "to the hilt" as this was one of the major points which he tried to score during election campaign and got maximum votes on it.

"National security does not mean only territorial integrity of the country. National security means whether we have peace and harmony in the country, but that is least at the moment. National security also means whether downtrodden, minorities, SCs, poor people and have-nots are secure, but they are not," he told reporters.

AICC General Secretary Ashok Gehlot said an "atmosphere of fear, hatred and violence has been created in the last four years of the Modi government".

"There has never been such betrayal with the people. One has never had such a prime minister in the history of the country, who has lowered the dignity of the office he holds. He speaks lies all the time and misleads people," he alleged.

BSP chief Mayawati slammed the Modi government for its historic failure on dealing with issues concerning the common man.

"The four years of Narendra Modi government prove that it has historically failed on the issues of inflation, poverty, unemployment, welfare work and other issues which affect the life of the people in the country," Ms Mayawati said, as she accused the government of misusing official machinery to weaken opposition parties.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav hit out at the Modi government, alleging that the poor, Dalits and women suffered in the last four years.

Taking to Twitter, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister raised the issue of bank frauds and alleged that the corrupt were allowed to flee the country. He said farmers, businessmen and unemployed masses were reeling from the decisions of the Modi government.

The Left claimed that the BJP government had nothing to show for its four years at the Centre except "failures and rhetoric" and should be ousted from power.

The CPI (M) alleged that these four years had seen an "unprecedented assault" on India's social fabric and the livelihood of the people.

"These four years have seen an unprecedented assault on India as a country and the livelihood of our people. There has been a four-pronged attack that continued to intensify by the day during these four years," CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said.

CPI leader D Raja alleged that the BJP-RSS combine had unleashed "fascism, fear and intimidation".

"There is no other achievement. It is full of failures. All we got is rhetoric in these years...All this rhetoric and there is nothing to celebrate and term as achievements," he said, adding that PM Modi had "not even respected his own promises".

The Congress described BJP as "Betrayal Janata Party" for failing to deliver on its promises.

The opposition launched a multi-pronged attack on the Narendra Modi-led government on its fourth anniversary today, saying it "failed" to fulfil its promises, had no achievement to highlight, and that the prime minister-BJP president duo was "harmful" for the country. The Congress described the four years of the BJP government as one of "treachery, trickery, revenge and lies", while the Left parties, the SP and the BSP said all sections of the society suffered due its "failures". While the Congress described BJP as "Betrayal Janata Party" for failing to deliver on its promises, party chief Rahul Gandhi led the attack by mocking the NDA government's performance and calling Narendra Modi a "master communicator" who struggled with complex issues and had a short attention span. Taking to Twitter, he gave grades to the BJP-led NDA government in a mock report card of the Prime Minister. While he gave 'F' to the Modi government for agriculture, foreign policy and job creation, he gave 'A+' to the prime minister for 'slogan creation and self-promotion'. "4 year Report Card. Agriculture: F, Foreign Policy: F, Fuel Prices: F, Job Creation: F, Slogan Creation: A+, Self Promotion: A+, Yoga: B-. Remarks: Master communicator struggles with complex issues short attention span," Mr Gandhi said on Twitter. Separately at a joint press conference, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot and Randeep Surjewala released a booklet, titled 'India Betrayed', to mark the occasion, in which it posed 40 questions and alleged that an atmosphere of fear and hatred had been created under the NDA rule. The Congress observed "Betrayal Day" to mark four years of the Modi government by organising protests in all district headquarters in the country. The party also released a short-film on the prevailing atmosphere in the country. "People now know that the Modi-(BJP president) Amit Shah duo is harmful for the country. The four years of the Modi government can be defined in four terms -- treachery, trickery, revenge and lies," AICC communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said. He said while the Prime Minister is in perpetual campaign mode, he refuses to understand peoples' pain and he has accumulated publicity but India only accumulated pain. Referring to alleged atrocities on Dalits, tribals, minorities and women, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters, "Under Modi's Government, nobody is safe. Everybody is having sleepless nights including all of you. Whatever you think, you cannot express. Whatever you want to write, you cannot write." Highlighting the importance of national security, he said PM Modi exploited this "to the hilt" as this was one of the major points which he tried to score during election campaign and got maximum votes on it. "National security does not mean only territorial integrity of the country. National security means whether we have peace and harmony in the country, but that is least at the moment. National security also means whether downtrodden, minorities, SCs, poor people and have-nots are secure, but they are not," he told reporters. AICC General Secretary Ashok Gehlot said an "atmosphere of fear, hatred and violence has been created in the last four years of the Modi government". "There has never been such betrayal with the people. One has never had such a prime minister in the history of the country, who has lowered the dignity of the office he holds. He speaks lies all the time and misleads people," he alleged. BSP chief Mayawati slammed the Modi government for its historic failure on dealing with issues concerning the common man. "The four years of Narendra Modi government prove that it has historically failed on the issues of inflation, poverty, unemployment, welfare work and other issues which affect the life of the people in the country," Ms Mayawati said, as she accused the government of misusing official machinery to weaken opposition parties. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav hit out at the Modi government, alleging that the poor, Dalits and women suffered in the last four years. Taking to Twitter, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister raised the issue of bank frauds and alleged that the corrupt were allowed to flee the country. He said farmers, businessmen and unemployed masses were reeling from the decisions of the Modi government. The Left claimed that the BJP government had nothing to show for its four years at the Centre except "failures and rhetoric" and should be ousted from power. The CPI (M) alleged that these four years had seen an "unprecedented assault" on India's social fabric and the livelihood of the people. "These four years have seen an unprecedented assault on India as a country and the livelihood of our people. There has been a four-pronged attack that continued to intensify by the day during these four years," CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said. CPI leader D Raja alleged that the BJP-RSS combine had unleashed "fascism, fear and intimidation". "There is no other achievement. It is full of failures. All we got is rhetoric in these years...All this rhetoric and there is nothing to celebrate and term as achievements," he said, adding that PM Modi had "not even respected his own promises".

Opposition targets PM Modi, Amit Shah on 4th anniversary of government

The JD(S)-Congress win&nbsp;in Karnataka is encouraging the formation of a "federal front" against the BJP, news reports said Sunday.&nbsp;

A number of regional leaders — including Mamata Banerjee,&nbsp;N Chandrababu Naidu, Arvind Kejriwal, Mayawati, Sharad Pawar, Akhilesh Yadav, MK Stalin, and Tejashwi Yadav — have spoken out in support of the JD(S)-Congress win.&nbsp;

"Democracy wins. Congratulations Karnataka. Congratulations DeveGowda Ji, Kumaraswamy Ji, Congress and others. Victory of the 'regional' front," tweeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.&nbsp;

"Entire nation is happy with the current turn of events," tweeted Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.&nbsp;

"BJP’s attempts to subvert democracy have miserably failed in Karnataka," said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.&nbsp;

HD Kumaraswamy's swearing in on May 23 is expected to be a show of strength of this possible federal front&nbsp;with the Congress and the JD(S) inviting a number of leaders. All of the leaders mentioned above are expected to attend.&nbsp;

"I just spoke with Kumaraswamy Ji and congratulated him. He invited me for the oath taking ceremony," tweeted Mamata.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi too hinted at the formation of an alliance to take on the BJP in 2019.&nbsp;

"I am proud that opposition stood together and defeated the BJP and we will continue to do so," Rahul said to the media after BS Yeddyurappa's resignation as chief minister of Karnataka.&nbsp;

Sunday's news reports however added that the developments in Karnataka have made the Congress realise that it cannot be the leader of this possible federal front to take on the BJP in 2019, but only a part of it.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Democracy wins. Congratulations Karnataka. Congratulations DeveGowda Ji, Kumaraswamy Ji, Congress and others. Victory of the 'regional' front
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/MamataOfficial/status/997789228347133952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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BJP’s attempts to subvert democracy have miserably failed in Karnataka. BJP's lust for power through foul means stands completely exposed. Will BJP learn any lesson now ? 
 
India's judiciary has risen to the occasion and has safeguarded our democracy.
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal/status/997800430250942464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Truth can never be defeated! Truth will always defeat a lie or liar! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KaranatakaFloorTest?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KaranatakaFloorTest</a>
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) <a href="https://twitter.com/yadavtejashwi/status/997790392081960960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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आज का दिन भारतीय राजनीति में धनबल की जगह जनमत की जीत का दिन है. सबको खरीद लेने का दावा करने वालों को आज ये सबक मिल गया है कि अभी भी भारत की राजनीति में ऐसे लोग बाकी हैं, जो उनकी तरह राजनीति को कारोबार नहीं मानते हैं. नैतिक रूप से तो केंद्र की सरकार को भी इस्तीफ़ा दे देना चाहिए.
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) <a href="https://twitter.com/yadavakhilesh/status/997805429060071424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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कर्नाटक विधानसभेतील बहुमतात असलेल्या सदस्यांचे अभिनंदन! प्रचंड दबाव-प्रलोभने असतानाही त्याला बळी न पडता आपल्या पक्षांच्या भूमिकेशी ते ठाम राहिले.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KarnatakaFloorTest?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KarnatakaFloorTest</a>
— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) <a href="https://twitter.com/PawarSpeaks/status/997849010751799300?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Resignation of BS Yeddyurappa as Karnataka's CM is a true victory for democracy. Entire nation is happy with the current turn of events. As a Chief Minister and a firm believer of democracy, I am expressing my happiness.
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) <a href="https://twitter.com/ncbn/status/997817333866348545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The systematic abuse of Governor's office and wanton misuse of Speaker's powers by the BJP in other states, including TamilNadu, stand exposed from recent events in Karnataka. Hope this setback helps the BJP realise its mistake of propping up an illegitimate govt in TamilNadu.
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) <a href="https://twitter.com/mkstalin/status/997816945889046528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The BJP won 104 seats in the recent Karnataka elections. The Congress won 78, the JD(S) 37, and its pre-poll ally the BSP 1.&nbsp;

The Karnataka assembly has a total of 224 seats, but voting to two seats was postponed. 112 seats then were needed for a simple majority.&nbsp;

The BJP was short by 8 seats. The Congress and the JD(S) together were able to make the numbers.&nbsp;

The Congress' Rahul Gandhi had attacked the JD(S) on the campaign trail, calling it the "B-team of the BJP" but the Congress quickly offered the JD(S) an alliance and the chief ministership once the election results were out.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

 
 
&nbsp;

The developments in Karnataka however have made the Congress realise that it cannot be the leader of a possible federal front to take on the BJP in 2019, but only a part of it

The JD(S)-Congress win in Karnataka is encouraging the formation of a "federal front" against the BJP, news reports said Sunday. A number of regional leaders — including Mamata Banerjee, N Chandrababu Naidu, Arvind Kejriwal, Mayawati, Sharad Pawar, Akhilesh Yadav, MK Stalin, and Tejashwi Yadav — have spoken out in support of the JD(S)-Congress win. "Democracy wins. Congratulations Karnataka. Congratulations DeveGowda Ji, Kumaraswamy Ji, Congress and others. Victory of the 'regional' front," tweeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. "Entire nation is happy with the current turn of events," tweeted Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. "BJP’s attempts to subvert democracy have miserably failed in Karnataka," said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. HD Kumaraswamy's swearing in on May 23 is expected to be a show of strength of this possible federal front with the Congress and the JD(S) inviting a number of leaders. All of the leaders mentioned above are expected to attend. "I just spoke with Kumaraswamy Ji and congratulated him. He invited me for the oath taking ceremony," tweeted Mamata. Congress President Rahul Gandhi too hinted at the formation of an alliance to take on the BJP in 2019. "I am proud that opposition stood together and defeated the BJP and we will continue to do so," Rahul said to the media after BS Yeddyurappa's resignation as chief minister of Karnataka. Sunday's news reports however added that the developments in Karnataka have made the Congress realise that it cannot be the leader of this possible federal front to take on the BJP in 2019, but only a part of it. Democracy wins. Congratulations Karnataka. Congratulations DeveGowda Ji, Kumaraswamy Ji, Congress and others. Victory of the 'regional' front — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 19, 2018 × BJP’s attempts to subvert democracy have miserably failed in Karnataka. BJP's lust for power through foul means stands completely exposed. Will BJP learn any lesson now ? India's judiciary has risen to the occasion and has safeguarded our democracy. — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 19, 2018 × Truth can never be defeated! Truth will always defeat a lie or liar! #KaranatakaFloorTest — Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) May 19, 2018 × आज का दिन भारतीय राजनीति में धनबल की जगह जनमत की जीत का दिन है. सबको खरीद लेने का दावा करने वालों को आज ये सबक मिल गया है कि अभी भी भारत की राजनीति में ऐसे लोग बाकी हैं, जो उनकी तरह राजनीति को कारोबार नहीं मानते हैं. नैतिक रूप से तो केंद्र की सरकार को भी इस्तीफ़ा दे देना चाहिए. — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) May 19, 2018 × कर्नाटक विधानसभेतील बहुमतात असलेल्या सदस्यांचे अभिनंदन! प्रचंड दबाव-प्रलोभने असतानाही त्याला बळी न पडता आपल्या पक्षांच्या भूमिकेशी ते ठाम राहिले.#KarnatakaFloorTest — Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) May 19, 2018 × Resignation of BS Yeddyurappa as Karnataka's CM is a true victory for democracy. Entire nation is happy with the current turn of events. As a Chief Minister and a firm believer of democracy, I am expressing my happiness. — N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) May 19, 2018 × The systematic abuse of Governor's office and wanton misuse of Speaker's powers by the BJP in other states, including TamilNadu, stand exposed from recent events in Karnataka. Hope this setback helps the BJP realise its mistake of propping up an illegitimate govt in TamilNadu. — M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) May 19, 2018 × The BJP won 104 seats in the recent Karnataka elections. The Congress won 78, the JD(S) 37, and its pre-poll ally the BSP 1. The Karnataka assembly has a total of 224 seats, but voting to two seats was postponed. 112 seats then were needed for a simple majority. The BJP was short by 8 seats. The Congress and the JD(S) together were able to make the numbers. The Congress' Rahul Gandhi had attacked the JD(S) on the campaign trail, calling it the "B-team of the BJP" but the Congress quickly offered the JD(S) an alliance and the chief ministership once the election results were out.

Congress-JD(S) win in Karnataka encouraging formation of 'federal front' against BJP

Pitching for a “spirit of accommodation” in Opposition ranks to take on BJP in 2019 polls, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Thursday said his party should take lead in forging a unity and also reconcile to the reality of being a “younger brother” to regional outfits in states like Bihar and West Bengal. Singh said the saffron party’s “religious fanaticism” could the common meeting ground for all opposition parties and Congress being the largest among them should work to bring together BJP’s rivals.

In an interaction with PTI journalists here, Singh said a “spirit of accommodation ” has to be there among opposition parties and the recent case of CPI(M), where those favouring an understanding with the Congress to challenge the BJP prevailed over the ones against it, indicated a similar mood. At its congress meeting in Hyderabad, the CPI(M) also re-elected Sitaram Yechury, who had campaigned for an understanding with the main opposition party.

Singh said the commonality among the opposition parties is their opposition to the ideology of BJP because of its “religious fanaticism”. He also made light of questions raised by some on the leadership of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and said his mother and the then party chief Sonia Gandhi’s political wisdom and even citizenship were questioned in 2004 before non-NDA parties came together under her stewardship.

Noting that Congress stalwarts like Indira Gandhi or Jawaharlal Nehru, or even Mahatma Gandhi, were not really known as a great orators, Singh said leadership has to give confidence and it is more important that articulation. The Congress party general secretary said Modi’s oratorical skills may be rated highly, but Rahul Gandhi has “evolved as a credible leader”.

He, however, agreed that the Congress should offer voters a blueprint on how it will deal with challenges like creating jobs, spurring economy and maintaining social harmony as the BJP might have “failed” but people want to know what the opposition has to offer. To a question if a united opposition should project a prime ministerial candidate against Narendra Modi in 2019 general elections, Singh opined against it saying it should be the right of elected MPs to chose their leader but stressed that it is his personal view.

“A common minimum programme should be worked out too. How to do that has to be dealt patiently and politically by my leadership so that we win back the confidence of regional parties, even if we are fighting against each other, so that we can take up the challenge against BJP. The spirit of accommodation has to there to fight a larger danger,” Singh said. To make his case for a unity among the opposition ranks, he highlighted the results of Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypolls in UP, where the BJP suffered a shock defeat to the SP-BSP alliance.

The verdict showed that social arithmetic still matters, he said. Asked if the Congress can play younger brother to regional parties in some states, including Bihar and West Bengal, where its influence is limited, Singh said that is a reality and it should do so. In the two UP bypolls, the Congress was not part of the opposition alliance and put up its candidates, who ended up losing their deposits.

The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister recently returned from a self-imposed sabbatical after concluding his six-month long ‘Narmada parikrama’ of over 3300 km on foot. Taking on the RSS, he said its main agenda is turning India into a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ and it has “poisoned” the youth’s mind with its extremist ideology.

Singh said the saffron party's "religious fanaticism" could the common meeting ground for all opposition parties and Congress being the largest among them should work to bring together BJP's rivals.

Pitching for a “spirit of accommodation” in Opposition ranks to take on BJP in 2019 polls, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Thursday said his party should take lead in forging a unity and also reconcile to the reality of being a “younger brother” to regional outfits in states like Bihar and West Bengal. Singh said the saffron party’s “religious fanaticism” could the common meeting ground for all opposition parties and Congress being the largest among them should work to bring together BJP’s rivals. In an interaction with PTI journalists here, Singh said a “spirit of accommodation ” has to be there among opposition parties and the recent case of CPI(M), where those favouring an understanding with the Congress to challenge the BJP prevailed over the ones against it, indicated a similar mood. At its congress meeting in Hyderabad, the CPI(M) also re-elected Sitaram Yechury, who had campaigned for an understanding with the main opposition party. Singh said the commonality among the opposition parties is their opposition to the ideology of BJP because of its “religious fanaticism”. He also made light of questions raised by some on the leadership of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and said his mother and the then party chief Sonia Gandhi’s political wisdom and even citizenship were questioned in 2004 before non-NDA parties came together under her stewardship. Noting that Congress stalwarts like Indira Gandhi or Jawaharlal Nehru, or even Mahatma Gandhi, were not really known as a great orators, Singh said leadership has to give confidence and it is more important that articulation. The Congress party general secretary said Modi’s oratorical skills may be rated highly, but Rahul Gandhi has “evolved as a credible leader”. He, however, agreed that the Congress should offer voters a blueprint on how it will deal with challenges like creating jobs, spurring economy and maintaining social harmony as the BJP might have “failed” but people want to know what the opposition has to offer. To a question if a united opposition should project a prime ministerial candidate against Narendra Modi in 2019 general elections, Singh opined against it saying it should be the right of elected MPs to chose their leader but stressed that it is his personal view. “A common minimum programme should be worked out too. How to do that has to be dealt patiently and politically by my leadership so that we win back the confidence of regional parties, even if we are fighting against each other, so that we can take up the challenge against BJP. The spirit of accommodation has to there to fight a larger danger,” Singh said. To make his case for a unity among the opposition ranks, he highlighted the results of Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypolls in UP, where the BJP suffered a shock defeat to the SP-BSP alliance. The verdict showed that social arithmetic still matters, he said. Asked if the Congress can play younger brother to regional parties in some states, including Bihar and West Bengal, where its influence is limited, Singh said that is a reality and it should do so. In the two UP bypolls, the Congress was not part of the opposition alliance and put up its candidates, who ended up losing their deposits. The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister recently returned from a self-imposed sabbatical after concluding his six-month long ‘Narmada parikrama’ of over 3300 km on foot. Taking on the RSS, he said its main agenda is turning India into a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ and it has “poisoned” the youth’s mind with its extremist ideology.

Digvijay says Opposition must unite for 2019 polls to defeat BJP’s ‘religious fanaticism’

Forget the BJP winning the 2019 polls, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi might lose his Varanasi seat under a united opposition, asserted Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday.

Pegging his confidence on opposition unity, Gandhi said far from the BJP winning the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, even Modi might lose from Varanasi if his party, the SP and the BSP were united against him.

Exuding confidence over roping in and managing alliance partners despite their varied personal and regional aspirations, Gandhi predicted for the current ruling dispensation, a "collapse" not "seen in many years."

"Frankly, I don't see the BJP winning the next election, so in 2019 we will go back to the normal, I sense," he said in reply to a question on "Dalit anger."

"...because there are two basic things, once opposition unity goes above a certain level, it becomes impossible to win elections. Now the opposition unity has gone to a point. It's simple," Gandhi said at an informal media interaction.

Pointing at the opposition unity efforts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and by the DMK, the Trinamool Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party in Tamil Nadu, Gandhi asked, "Where are they (BJP) going to win seats?"

And in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab. We will take it over."

"You are going to see a collapse of the style you haven't seen in many years," he said.

Gandhi was on the sixth leg of campaigning as part of the 'Janashirvada Yatra' ahead of the May 12 polls in Karnataka.

Responding to a question doubting the forging of opposition unity amid varied aspirations of each party and their leaders, Gandhi expressed confidence of overcoming it.

"We will manage it. We in the Congress know how to carry people, we are not egotistical people, we don't crush people and we don't destroy people's lives, so we will manage it," he said.

The basic thing is how to get the country out of the "mess that Mr Modi and RSS has put it in," he said.

The Congress president also ruled out the emergence of any third front.

Accusing the RSS of generating anger and hatred, Gandhi alleged that people are being killed for what they are saying and that needs to be put to an end.

"The natural sort of political environment where there is a little bit of acrimony, but not hatred, needs to be restored," he said.

Stating that Modi had a "very good" opportunity after the 2014 election, Gandhi said a lot could have been done for the country.

Terming as "funny" the BJP's confidence of breaking the opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh and claiming that he understands UP politics, Rahul said when the three parties (SP, BSP and Congress) come together, "BJP will win only two seats, that too with luck.&nbsp;

He said even Modi may lose if he stands from Varanasi and the three parties were united against him.

"In fact, I challenge him to stand with three parties united," he added.

The BSP and the SP jointly fought Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats during the recent bypolls, costing the BJP both the seats, vacated respectively by Uttar Pradesh chief minister and deputy chief minister.

Hitting out at Modi and the BJP, the Congress president said they have lost track of running the country.

"You can't run this country as an individual, you have to run this country by listening to it, by working with it... and now after four years, he (Modi) has suddenly lost it, because now the wheels are running on them. Everybody can see that, you can hear it in his speeches," he said.&nbsp;

Responding to a question, Rahul blamed the "mentality" for Modi and BJP losing track.&nbsp;

He said, "...it is the mentality... you stand in front of Basavanna (12th-century social reformer from Karnataka) or Ambedkar, praise them, and then you destroy everything that they stood for..."&nbsp;

"Basavanna is an idea, he is the representative of the idea of Karnataka, you can go and stand in front of his statue as much as you want, but it won't work if you are destroying the idea... so, it is the mentality..." he said.

Sharing his experience in Gujarat, he said those raising "Modi Modi" slogans were nice to him when he met them and claimed they were "paid" for their sloganeering.&nbsp;

The BSP and the SP jointly fought Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats during the recent bypolls, costing the BJP both the seats.

Forget the BJP winning the 2019 polls, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi might lose his Varanasi seat under a united opposition, asserted Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday. Pegging his confidence on opposition unity, Gandhi said far from the BJP winning the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, even Modi might lose from Varanasi if his party, the SP and the BSP were united against him. Exuding confidence over roping in and managing alliance partners despite their varied personal and regional aspirations, Gandhi predicted for the current ruling dispensation, a "collapse" not "seen in many years." "Frankly, I don't see the BJP winning the next election, so in 2019 we will go back to the normal, I sense," he said in reply to a question on "Dalit anger." "...because there are two basic things, once opposition unity goes above a certain level, it becomes impossible to win elections. Now the opposition unity has gone to a point. It's simple," Gandhi said at an informal media interaction. Pointing at the opposition unity efforts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and by the DMK, the Trinamool Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party in Tamil Nadu, Gandhi asked, "Where are they (BJP) going to win seats?" And in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab. We will take it over." "You are going to see a collapse of the style you haven't seen in many years," he said. Gandhi was on the sixth leg of campaigning as part of the 'Janashirvada Yatra' ahead of the May 12 polls in Karnataka. Responding to a question doubting the forging of opposition unity amid varied aspirations of each party and their leaders, Gandhi expressed confidence of overcoming it. "We will manage it. We in the Congress know how to carry people, we are not egotistical people, we don't crush people and we don't destroy people's lives, so we will manage it," he said. The basic thing is how to get the country out of the "mess that Mr Modi and RSS has put it in," he said. The Congress president also ruled out the emergence of any third front. Accusing the RSS of generating anger and hatred, Gandhi alleged that people are being killed for what they are saying and that needs to be put to an end. "The natural sort of political environment where there is a little bit of acrimony, but not hatred, needs to be restored," he said. Stating that Modi had a "very good" opportunity after the 2014 election, Gandhi said a lot could have been done for the country. Terming as "funny" the BJP's confidence of breaking the opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh and claiming that he understands UP politics, Rahul said when the three parties (SP, BSP and Congress) come together, "BJP will win only two seats, that too with luck. He said even Modi may lose if he stands from Varanasi and the three parties were united against him. "In fact, I challenge him to stand with three parties united," he added. The BSP and the SP jointly fought Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats during the recent bypolls, costing the BJP both the seats, vacated respectively by Uttar Pradesh chief minister and deputy chief minister. Hitting out at Modi and the BJP, the Congress president said they have lost track of running the country. "You can't run this country as an individual, you have to run this country by listening to it, by working with it... and now after four years, he (Modi) has suddenly lost it, because now the wheels are running on them. Everybody can see that, you can hear it in his speeches," he said. Responding to a question, Rahul blamed the "mentality" for Modi and BJP losing track. He said, "...it is the mentality... you stand in front of Basavanna (12th-century social reformer from Karnataka) or Ambedkar, praise them, and then you destroy everything that they stood for..." "Basavanna is an idea, he is the representative of the idea of Karnataka, you can go and stand in front of his statue as much as you want, but it won't work if you are destroying the idea... so, it is the mentality..." he said. Sharing his experience in Gujarat, he said those raising "Modi Modi" slogans were nice to him when he met them and claimed they were "paid" for their sloganeering.

Forget BJP winning 2019 polls, PM Modi will even lose Varanasi seat if Opposition unites: Rahul Gandhi

Sri Lanka's Joint Opposition has accused President Maithripala Sirisena of "betraying" not only them but also his own party and allies after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe comfortably won a no-trust motion.

Wickremesinghe, 68, who leads a national unity government in alliance with Sirisena's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), received 122 votes against the motion while 76 favoured the motion to oust him.

Banking on votes of legislators of Sirisena's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), former President Mahinda Rajapaksa-led Joint Opposition moved the motion, accusing Wickremesinghe of financial mismanagement and his failure to tackle anti-Muslim riots last month in the central Kandy district.'

Only 19 out of Sirisena's 40 plus MPs voted while 22 of them remain absent in the House, helping the Sri Lankan Prime Minister to sail through.

"President Sirisena's habit of betrayal proven again at the no-confidence motion. First, he encouraged SLFP members to support it and then backs off. He has betrayed both the SLFP and the UNP," Rajpaksha's legislator son Namal Rajapaksa tweeted last night.

Wickremesinghe also got the help of Tamil and Muslim minority parties. 
"Sirisena must take the responsibility for preventing the end of the Prime Minister's political journey," a senior opposition leader Prasanna Ranatunga said.

According to the final vote tally, even if legislators of Sirisena and Rajapaksa-led parties had voted for the motion, Wickremesinghe would still had sailed through as no member from his UNP broke ranks.

The 19 ministers, who had voted against Wickremesinghe, have asked that they be allowed to continue in the cabinet despite their lack of confidence in the unity government.

The UNP backbenchers, however, signed a petition addressed to Sirisena to sack the SLFP dissenters in the cabinet.

Wickremesinghe has no power to remove ministers. It can only be done either by Sirisena or through a no-confidence motion in Parliament.

"The conspirators who undermined the government during the last 3 years must be sacked," a UNP legislator Hesha Withanage said.

After winning the trust vote last night, Wickremesinghe said the government would venture in a new journey with all those who supported.

"We have lost some but we can move forward with the rest." He was hoping to meet Sirisena soon to discuss the future of the government and to preserve the mandate received by Sirisena in January 2015 for implementing reform.&nbsp;

Wickremesinghe received 122 votes against the motion while 76 favoured the motion to oust him

Sri Lanka's Joint Opposition has accused President Maithripala Sirisena of "betraying" not only them but also his own party and allies after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe comfortably won a no-trust motion. Wickremesinghe, 68, who leads a national unity government in alliance with Sirisena's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), received 122 votes against the motion while 76 favoured the motion to oust him. Banking on votes of legislators of Sirisena's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), former President Mahinda Rajapaksa-led Joint Opposition moved the motion, accusing Wickremesinghe of financial mismanagement and his failure to tackle anti-Muslim riots last month in the central Kandy district.' Only 19 out of Sirisena's 40 plus MPs voted while 22 of them remain absent in the House, helping the Sri Lankan Prime Minister to sail through. "President Sirisena's habit of betrayal proven again at the no-confidence motion. First, he encouraged SLFP members to support it and then backs off. He has betrayed both the SLFP and the UNP," Rajpaksha's legislator son Namal Rajapaksa tweeted last night. Wickremesinghe also got the help of Tamil and Muslim minority parties. "Sirisena must take the responsibility for preventing the end of the Prime Minister's political journey," a senior opposition leader Prasanna Ranatunga said. According to the final vote tally, even if legislators of Sirisena and Rajapaksa-led parties had voted for the motion, Wickremesinghe would still had sailed through as no member from his UNP broke ranks. The 19 ministers, who had voted against Wickremesinghe, have asked that they be allowed to continue in the cabinet despite their lack of confidence in the unity government. The UNP backbenchers, however, signed a petition addressed to Sirisena to sack the SLFP dissenters in the cabinet. Wickremesinghe has no power to remove ministers. It can only be done either by Sirisena or through a no-confidence motion in Parliament. "The conspirators who undermined the government during the last 3 years must be sacked," a UNP legislator Hesha Withanage said. After winning the trust vote last night, Wickremesinghe said the government would venture in a new journey with all those who supported. "We have lost some but we can move forward with the rest." He was hoping to meet Sirisena soon to discuss the future of the government and to preserve the mandate received by Sirisena in January 2015 for implementing reform.

Lanka Prez under attack from Opposition over no-trust motion defeat

The opposition has begun the process of initiating impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.&nbsp;

The development was confirmed by a number of Opposition leaders on Tuesday.&nbsp;

"The Congress as the largest opposition party has belatedly initiated the proceedings for impeachment of the Chief Justice of India," NCP leader Majeed Memon said. &nbsp;

Another NCP parliamentarian D P Tripathi said, "I have signed it and others are also signing it and the process is going on."

Tripathi said it is not just corruption, but "the charges are far more serious" and it emanates from the letter that four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court had earlier written stating that there was danger to the independence of judiciary.

Tripathi confirmed that among the signatories to the notice were members of NCP, CPI-M, CPI and others, and indicated that some Congress leaders too had signed it.&nbsp;

The Samajwadi Party too is supporting the move. "The Samajwadi Party stands with the impeachment motion, which is about bringing independence and unquestionable integrity to the judiciary," SP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari told ANI.&nbsp;

As is West Bengal chief minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, who told reporters: “I can only say that Trinamool Congress will go with whatever decision the other parties take on the impeachment of the CJI. After all, one cannot ignore what the four judges had to say.”

Banerjee's statement came after her meeting — to discuss a possible impeachment motion against the CJI — earlier in the day with senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI) 
&nbsp;

'The Congress as the largest opposition party has belatedly initiated the proceedings for impeachment of the Chief Justice of India,' NCP leader Majeed Memon said.

The opposition has begun the process of initiating impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. The development was confirmed by a number of Opposition leaders on Tuesday. "The Congress as the largest opposition party has belatedly initiated the proceedings for impeachment of the Chief Justice of India," NCP leader Majeed Memon said. Another NCP parliamentarian D P Tripathi said, "I have signed it and others are also signing it and the process is going on." Tripathi said it is not just corruption, but "the charges are far more serious" and it emanates from the letter that four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court had earlier written stating that there was danger to the independence of judiciary. Tripathi confirmed that among the signatories to the notice were members of NCP, CPI-M, CPI and others, and indicated that some Congress leaders too had signed it. The Samajwadi Party too is supporting the move. "The Samajwadi Party stands with the impeachment motion, which is about bringing independence and unquestionable integrity to the judiciary," SP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari told ANI. As is West Bengal chief minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, who told reporters: “I can only say that Trinamool Congress will go with whatever decision the other parties take on the impeachment of the CJI. After all, one cannot ignore what the four judges had to say.” Banerjee's statement came after her meeting — to discuss a possible impeachment motion against the CJI — earlier in the day with senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan. (With inputs from PTI)

Opposition begins gathering signatures to impeach Chief Justice of India

The Yogi Adityanath led-BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is set to withdraw 131 cases against those accused in the 2013 communal riots in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli.

While the BJP has maintained it is withdrawing only the false cases linked to the September 2013 riots, Opposition parties have termed it an attempt to offer &#39;amnesty&#39; to rioters.

On September 2013, communal riots in UP&#39;s Muzaffarnagar and Shamli broke out killing at least 62 people and displacing a thousand others.&nbsp;

The Samajwadi Party, then state government, had filed an FIR against 1,455 persons, including members of the BJP, &nbsp;in a total of 503 cases.

In January, a report claimed that the Uttar Pradesh government is mulling withdrawing nine cases against BJP leaders in connection with the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.

The accused are facing charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for violating prohibitory orders, deterring public servants from discharging their duties and wrongful restraint.

In January, a report claimed that the Uttar Pradesh government is mulling withdrawing nine cases against BJP leaders in connection with the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots

The Yogi Adityanath led-BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is set to withdraw 131 cases against those accused in the 2013 communal riots in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli. While the BJP has maintained it is withdrawing only the false cases linked to the September 2013 riots, Opposition parties have termed it an attempt to offer 'amnesty' to rioters. On September 2013, communal riots in UP's Muzaffarnagar and Shamli broke out killing at least 62 people and displacing a thousand others. The Samajwadi Party, then state government, had filed an FIR against 1,455 persons, including members of the BJP, in a total of 503 cases. In January, a report claimed that the Uttar Pradesh government is mulling withdrawing nine cases against BJP leaders in connection with the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots. The accused are facing charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for violating prohibitory orders, deterring public servants from discharging their duties and wrongful restraint.

Muzaffarnagar riots: UP government to withdraw 131 cases

Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh has spoken out on the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/39-indians-missing-in-iraq-dead-sushma-swaraj-36459" target="_blank">39 missing Indians killed</a> in Iraq.&nbsp;

The government has quickly come under fire for its handling of the issue. A number of opposition leaders have said the government had known the missing Indians were dead and family members of the missing said that they were not told beforehand and only heard the news when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made her announcement in Parliament Tuesday morning.&nbsp;

Singh said that it took time to confirm the deaths, adding that &quot;no one was misled&#39;.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/39-indians-missing-in-iraq-killed-sushma-not-allowed-to-speak-in-parliament-36475" target="_blank">39 Indians missing in Iraq killed: MPs continue protesting, Sushma not allowed to speak in Lok Sabha</a>

&quot;Everything takes time, Sushma (Swaraj) Ji had stated she will not declare them dead until there is strong proof and she kept her promise, no one was misled. It is job of opposition to take everything in the wrong way,&quot; Singh said.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: MoS MEA VK Singh speaks on death of 39 Indians in Mosul, says, &#39;Everything takes time, Sushma Ji had stated she will not declare them dead until there is strong proof &amp; she kept her promise, no one was misled. It is job of opposition to take everything in the wrong way.&#39; <a href="https://t.co/QqNzYCREhR">pic.twitter.com/QqNzYCREhR</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/975998598944083970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;There was hope, but then seeing the situation there chances of them being alive seemed slim. Legal procedures are underway there &amp; might take 8-10 days, we are waiting for them to complete,&quot; Singh added.&nbsp;

&quot;Different news came from different angles, hence an effort was made to verify facts by going there, then DNA matching was done. EAM had earlier stated that until there is strong proof of their death she will not inform the house,&quot; the minister said.&nbsp;

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had said earlier Tuesday that Singh would be the one travelling to Iraq to bring the bodies of the 39 missing Indians back home.&nbsp;

'Everything takes time, Sushma Ji had stated she will not declare them dead until there is strong proof and she kept her promise,' said Singh

Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh has spoken out on the 39 missing Indians killed in Iraq. The government has quickly come under fire for its handling of the issue. A number of opposition leaders have said the government had known the missing Indians were dead and family members of the missing said that they were not told beforehand and only heard the news when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made her announcement in Parliament Tuesday morning. Singh said that it took time to confirm the deaths, adding that "no one was misled'. 39 Indians missing in Iraq killed: MPs continue protesting, Sushma not allowed to speak in Lok Sabha "Everything takes time, Sushma (Swaraj) Ji had stated she will not declare them dead until there is strong proof and she kept her promise, no one was misled. It is job of opposition to take everything in the wrong way," Singh said. #WATCH: MoS MEA VK Singh speaks on death of 39 Indians in Mosul, says, 'Everything takes time, Sushma Ji had stated she will not declare them dead until there is strong proof & she kept her promise, no one was misled. It is job of opposition to take everything in the wrong way.' pic.twitter.com/QqNzYCREhR — ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2018 × "There was hope, but then seeing the situation there chances of them being alive seemed slim. Legal procedures are underway there & might take 8-10 days, we are waiting for them to complete," Singh added. "Different news came from different angles, hence an effort was made to verify facts by going there, then DNA matching was done. EAM had earlier stated that until there is strong proof of their death she will not inform the house," the minister said. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had said earlier Tuesday that Singh would be the one travelling to Iraq to bring the bodies of the 39 missing Indians back home.

39 Indians killed in Iraq: As family members, opposition attack government, VK Singh says 'no one was misled'

Political obituaries are easy to write but political events are far more difficult to predict.&nbsp;

Political parties rebound from losses and state elections are not the key to understanding the prevalent mood in the country. The BJP misunderstood the verdict of the assembly elections and called early national elections, only to lose them to the UPA in 2004. Similarly,&nbsp; the AAP misunderstood its resurgence and failed terribly in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

But that does not mean that verdicts have no meaning at all.&nbsp;

Byelections indicate a trend and if capitalised on, can turn into tsunamis. Whether it was the re-election of Indira Gandhi from Medak in 1980 or of VP Singh from Allahabad in 1987, those byelections demonstrated the mood of the nation and the complacency of a party in a particular area.

In one case, it foretold the return of Indira and in the other, showcased the unity of the Opposition and the undoing of the Congress. The former ended Indira&rsquo;s political isolation while the latter led to Rajiv Gandhi&rsquo;s isolation the numbers being with him.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-bypolls-up-shocker-sp-wins-both-yogi-bastion-of-gorakhpur-and-phulpur-seat-35824" target="_blank">Gorakhpur byelection</a> points in this direction.

The incumbent government is getting politically isolated. Political isolation is often a prelude to intense electoral Opposition directed against an individual.

The first time such phenomena was witnessed in India was while Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister.

Already rattled by the call of total revolution and an adverse court judgement, Indira imposed the Emergency. It united the Opposition and from Congress vs the rest, the battle turned into Indira vs the rest. Similarly, Rajiv Gandhi too faced an onslaught from his former colleagues on the charge of corruption and the entire Opposition fell in line, turning that tussle into Rajiv Gandhi vs the rest.&nbsp;

The same phenomenon is being witnessed today.

In both cases, before the loss at the hustings, Indira and Rajiv were politically isolated and bereft of any sympathy or support outside their own parties. Both times, senior leaders of the Congress jumped ship and joined the Opposition. Despite having the numbers and their achievements, those governments became lame-duck ones. And Indira and Rajiv became the target&nbsp;of ridicule and caustic campaigns which eroded their gravitas in public life. The results&nbsp;were mandates which ousted them from power.

The incumbent government also faces the spectre of political isolation from not only the Opposition but also its own allies.

The problem stems from its strength and not its weakness. Its allies are worried the BJP has not participated in the&nbsp;give-and-take that is part of a coalition government. For the Opposition meanwhile, it is matter of survival. And in all of this, Prime Minister Modi stands alone.

The general election is still a year away and the ideological contradictions of regional parties that band together may repel the electorate. The electorate may even stay with the BJP because of the lack of an Opposition prime ministerial candidate matching Modi&rsquo;s stature but that does not belie the fact that the BJP stands alone today.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The BJP stands alone today, isolated not only from the Opposition but also its own allies

Political obituaries are easy to write but political events are far more difficult to predict. Political parties rebound from losses and state elections are not the key to understanding the prevalent mood in the country. The BJP misunderstood the verdict of the assembly elections and called early national elections, only to lose them to the UPA in 2004. Similarly, the AAP misunderstood its resurgence and failed terribly in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. But that does not mean that verdicts have no meaning at all. Byelections indicate a trend and if capitalised on, can turn into tsunamis. Whether it was the re-election of Indira Gandhi from Medak in 1980 or of VP Singh from Allahabad in 1987, those byelections demonstrated the mood of the nation and the complacency of a party in a particular area. In one case, it foretold the return of Indira and in the other, showcased the unity of the Opposition and the undoing of the Congress. The former ended Indira’s political isolation while the latter led to Rajiv Gandhi’s isolation the numbers being with him. The Gorakhpur byelection points in this direction. The incumbent government is getting politically isolated. Political isolation is often a prelude to intense electoral Opposition directed against an individual. The first time such phenomena was witnessed in India was while Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister. Already rattled by the call of total revolution and an adverse court judgement, Indira imposed the Emergency. It united the Opposition and from Congress vs the rest, the battle turned into Indira vs the rest. Similarly, Rajiv Gandhi too faced an onslaught from his former colleagues on the charge of corruption and the entire Opposition fell in line, turning that tussle into Rajiv Gandhi vs the rest. The same phenomenon is being witnessed today. In both cases, before the loss at the hustings, Indira and Rajiv were politically isolated and bereft of any sympathy or support outside their own parties. Both times, senior leaders of the Congress jumped ship and joined the Opposition. Despite having the numbers and their achievements, those governments became lame-duck ones. And Indira and Rajiv became the target of ridicule and caustic campaigns which eroded their gravitas in public life. The results were mandates which ousted them from power. The incumbent government also faces the spectre of political isolation from not only the Opposition but also its own allies. The problem stems from its strength and not its weakness. Its allies are worried the BJP has not participated in the give-and-take that is part of a coalition government. For the Opposition meanwhile, it is matter of survival. And in all of this, Prime Minister Modi stands alone. The general election is still a year away and the ideological contradictions of regional parties that band together may repel the electorate. The electorate may even stay with the BJP because of the lack of an Opposition prime ministerial candidate matching Modi’s stature but that does not belie the fact that the BJP stands alone today.

Will Modi be able to beat what seems like impending political isolation?

Congress president Rahul Gandhi&#39;s meeting with NCP chief Sharad Pawar hours after the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar Lok Sabha bypoll results were announced, shows that the Congress leadership is serious on forging a bigger alliance of opposition parties, the NCP said today.

In a major blow to the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the saffron party was trounced in the bypolls to three Lok Sabha seats, including the citadel of Yogi Adityanath&#39;s Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

&quot;Rahul Gandhi has started meeting various party leaders and began this practice by meeting Pawar saheb. The Congress president is meeting party presidents who are senior to him,&quot; NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said.

&quot;Despite the Congress being the bigger party, Rahul Gandhi has started meeting leaders of other parties. This shows they (Congress) are serious on making a bigger alliance,&quot; Malik, a former Maharashtra minister, told PTI here.

The NCP leader said, &quot;Rahul Gandhi wants that Pawar saheb should bring in more people (parties) in the country under the UPA fold.&quot;

Adityanath, who termed the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samajwadi Party alliance as one of &quot;snake and mongoose&quot;, had said over-confidence and inability to understand the electoral understanding between the SP and the BSP led to the defeat in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats.

In Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal retained Araria Lok Sabha seat and Jehanabad Assembly constituency, while the BJP held on to Bhabua.

Rahul Gandhi had received some praise from Pawar last month, who said the Congress party chief was showing an inclination to &quot;learn and understand&quot; the issues facing the nation.

Asked if the Shiv Sena, the BJP&#39;s bickering alliance partner, will withdraw support to the Narendra Modi government, like the TDP did, Malik said, the &quot;Sena won&#39;t part ways with the BJP-led government.&quot;

&quot;They (Sena) are just bargaining. They don&#39;t have the courage to go solo,&quot; the NCP leader said.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) today ended its four-year-old alliance with the BJP and walked out of the NDA, eight days after two of its Union ministers resigned over the Centre&#39;s refusal to grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;

'Rahul Gandhi has started meeting various party leaders and began this practice by meeting Pawar saheb. The Congress president is meeting party presidents who are senior to him,' NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said

Congress president Rahul Gandhi's meeting with NCP chief Sharad Pawar hours after the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar Lok Sabha bypoll results were announced, shows that the Congress leadership is serious on forging a bigger alliance of opposition parties, the NCP said today. In a major blow to the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the saffron party was trounced in the bypolls to three Lok Sabha seats, including the citadel of Yogi Adityanath's Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. "Rahul Gandhi has started meeting various party leaders and began this practice by meeting Pawar saheb. The Congress president is meeting party presidents who are senior to him," NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said. "Despite the Congress being the bigger party, Rahul Gandhi has started meeting leaders of other parties. This shows they (Congress) are serious on making a bigger alliance," Malik, a former Maharashtra minister, told PTI here. The NCP leader said, "Rahul Gandhi wants that Pawar saheb should bring in more people (parties) in the country under the UPA fold." Adityanath, who termed the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samajwadi Party alliance as one of "snake and mongoose", had said over-confidence and inability to understand the electoral understanding between the SP and the BSP led to the defeat in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats. In Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal retained Araria Lok Sabha seat and Jehanabad Assembly constituency, while the BJP held on to Bhabua. Rahul Gandhi had received some praise from Pawar last month, who said the Congress party chief was showing an inclination to "learn and understand" the issues facing the nation. Asked if the Shiv Sena, the BJP's bickering alliance partner, will withdraw support to the Narendra Modi government, like the TDP did, Malik said, the "Sena won't part ways with the BJP-led government." "They (Sena) are just bargaining. They don't have the courage to go solo," the NCP leader said. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) today ended its four-year-old alliance with the BJP and walked out of the NDA, eight days after two of its Union ministers resigned over the Centre's refusal to grant Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh.

Rahul meeting Pawar shows Congress serious about forming bigger alliance: NCP

The Maldivian opposition said Tuesday it had hired a former UN rights rapporteur to push the global body to intervene in a worsening political crisis that has roiled the troubled honeymoon islands.

The opposition alliance, which includes the parties of former presidents Mohamed Nasheed and Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, said they had enlisted British lawyer Ben Emmerson to advise them on securing UN mediation in the crisis.

Emmerson, a UN special rapporteur until last year, is also a member of Nasheed&#39;s pro-bono international legal team, which includes high-profile rights lawyer Amal Clooney.

His appointment follows reports that President Abdulla Yameen, who declared a state of emergency in a crackdown on dissent earlier this month, had declined an offer from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for multi-party talks.

Emmerson will &quot;advise the joint opposition in discussions with UN officials&quot; on possible talks with Yameen&#39;s administration, the Colombo-based opposition alliance said in a statement.

Yameen has stepped up a crackdown on opposition activists, including his estranged half brother and ex-president Gayoom, since imposing a draconian state of emergency on February 5.

He has also arrested the chief justice after the Supreme Court ordered the release of political prisoners, and has stripped parliament of its power using emergency laws to head off impeachment.

In another development, Yameen&#39;s niece Dunya Maumoon, resigned as state minister for Health, a position she held for just over a year. Earlier she had been Yameen&#39;s foreign minister.

She has been under pressure to resign since Yameen had her father Gayoom arrested earlier this month on a charge of trying to topple the government.

&quot;Today at this time of pain and crisis for both my family and my country, it is my sincere hope to see my father home at the earliest&quot;, she said in a statement after her resignation.

Yameen&#39;s education minister Aishath Shiham on Tuesday told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that the Supreme Court&#39;s &quot;judicial overreach&quot; had threatened democracy in the Maldives.

&quot;In order to uphold the integrity of the constitution, drastic action was necessary. The president declared a state of emergency. This decision was not taken lightly,&quot; she said. The Council of the European Union on Monday urged Yameen to end the state of emergency, release all political prisoners and restore rule of law. It warned of sanctions if Yameen failed to comply.

&quot;The current situation is not in accordance with the principles of democratic rule and separation of powers,&quot; the Council said.

&quot;If the situation does not improve, the Council may, therefore, consider targeted measures.&quot;

It said the European Union was ready to support any UN facilitation of talks between Maldivian parties to end the standoff, which it said threatened the safety of residents and tourists visiting the popular holiday islands.

Last week Yameen&#39;s regime warned India against interfering in the crisis after New Delhi, once seen as Male&#39;s closest ally, expressed dismay over the president extending the state of emergency.

Yameen has jailed almost all his political opponents since coming to power in late 2013 and the resulting fallout has dented the nation&#39;s image as a popular tourist destination.

Amnesty International on Tuesday called on authorities to &quot;unconditionally release&quot; all those detained under the emergency provisions. 
&nbsp;

The opposition alliance said they had enlisted British lawyer Ben Emmerson to advise them on securing UN mediation in the crisis

The Maldivian opposition said Tuesday it had hired a former UN rights rapporteur to push the global body to intervene in a worsening political crisis that has roiled the troubled honeymoon islands. The opposition alliance, which includes the parties of former presidents Mohamed Nasheed and Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, said they had enlisted British lawyer Ben Emmerson to advise them on securing UN mediation in the crisis. Emmerson, a UN special rapporteur until last year, is also a member of Nasheed's pro-bono international legal team, which includes high-profile rights lawyer Amal Clooney. His appointment follows reports that President Abdulla Yameen, who declared a state of emergency in a crackdown on dissent earlier this month, had declined an offer from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for multi-party talks. Emmerson will "advise the joint opposition in discussions with UN officials" on possible talks with Yameen's administration, the Colombo-based opposition alliance said in a statement. Yameen has stepped up a crackdown on opposition activists, including his estranged half brother and ex-president Gayoom, since imposing a draconian state of emergency on February 5. He has also arrested the chief justice after the Supreme Court ordered the release of political prisoners, and has stripped parliament of its power using emergency laws to head off impeachment. In another development, Yameen's niece Dunya Maumoon, resigned as state minister for Health, a position she held for just over a year. Earlier she had been Yameen's foreign minister. She has been under pressure to resign since Yameen had her father Gayoom arrested earlier this month on a charge of trying to topple the government. "Today at this time of pain and crisis for both my family and my country, it is my sincere hope to see my father home at the earliest", she said in a statement after her resignation. Yameen's education minister Aishath Shiham on Tuesday told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that the Supreme Court's "judicial overreach" had threatened democracy in the Maldives. "In order to uphold the integrity of the constitution, drastic action was necessary. The president declared a state of emergency. This decision was not taken lightly," she said. The Council of the European Union on Monday urged Yameen to end the state of emergency, release all political prisoners and restore rule of law. It warned of sanctions if Yameen failed to comply. "The current situation is not in accordance with the principles of democratic rule and separation of powers," the Council said. "If the situation does not improve, the Council may, therefore, consider targeted measures." It said the European Union was ready to support any UN facilitation of talks between Maldivian parties to end the standoff, which it said threatened the safety of residents and tourists visiting the popular holiday islands. Last week Yameen's regime warned India against interfering in the crisis after New Delhi, once seen as Male's closest ally, expressed dismay over the president extending the state of emergency. Yameen has jailed almost all his political opponents since coming to power in late 2013 and the resulting fallout has dented the nation's image as a popular tourist destination. Amnesty International on Tuesday called on authorities to "unconditionally release" all those detained under the emergency provisions.

Maldives opposition seeks UN-mediated talks to end crisis

The BJP today alleged that the multi-crore PNB scam involving billionaire jewellery designer Nirav Modi happened during the UPA rule and the Congress was spreading lies to mislead the public.

The BJP, which fielded Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to counter the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/demonetisation-catalyst-for-modis-friends-and-cronies-to-loot-indian-banks-rahul-gandhi-33192" target="_blank">Congress&#39;s charges</a>, claimed that it was under the NDA government that the alleged scams committed during the UPA rule were being unearthed.

The Congress has alleged that the scam took place in 2017 under the Modi government when letters of understanding were signed by Punjab National Bank in favour of the companies of Nirav Modi and his partner and uncle Mehul Choksi.

Sitharaman said Nirav Modi may have been able to run away from the country, but the government is taking action against him, and claimed that it will &quot;surely nab him&quot;.

&quot;The original sin took place during the Congress regime. It multiplied, it took traction under the Congress regime,&quot; she told reporters.

&quot;We are not conspiring to help scamsters flee the country, but the BJP government is catching them instead,&quot; she said.

Accusing the Congress of spreading lies on the issue, the minister said, &quot;As always, the Congress party indulges in such scandalous affairs, misuses positions in government, tweaks system to help themselves and quietly cover up everything that they do.&quot;

Sitharaman said the Narendra Modi government came to power with a clear commitment of unearthing scams and corrupt practices.

Instead of explaining as to why the scam happened during the UPA rule, the Congress instead is making allegations against the BJP.

&quot;I am sorry, the Congress party&#39;s allegations against this government and in misleading people is just not going to happen.

&quot;Concerted repeating of lies for misleading people may be a strategy the Congress likes to adopt. But I am sorry the facts are facing you and it is for them to answer,&quot; she said.

To a question on the offenders fleeing the country during the NDA regime, Sitharaman said, &quot;They have fled but this doesn&#39;t mean we will not catch him. But they are facing the heat. Investigation is happening.&quot;

&quot;They are probably running away but I am not saying that we are sparing them. We will surely nab them. We are the ones to nab them,&quot; she said.

She alleged that the person who was approving the LoUs was quietly allowed to retire and the BJP which is taking action is being accused instead.

&quot;We have taken action. We have sent notices, confiscated their properties and the process is still on, but allegation is on us. Shocking that the Congress party (is doing this) despite being reduced to 44 in Lok Sabha,&quot; she said.

Sitharaman also alleged that it was Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who attended a promotional event hosted by Nirav Modi.

She also claimed that the Nirav Modi-run Fire Star Diamond International has taken on lease a property of Adwait Holdings in which Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi&#39;s wife is a director.

&quot;What is important that the premises has been used by Fire Star Diamond International,&quot; she alleged.

Sitharaman also claimed that a government director of Allahabad Bank, who in 2013 had raised objections to the financial restructuring of Gitanjali Gems, was asked to resign and his dissent was not even recorded.

BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said the Congress&#39;s murky links to Nirav Modi&#39;s company were coming out of the closet.

&quot;Abhishek Manu Singvi&#39;s wife purchased very pricey diamonds and jewelry worth crores and made payments of over Rs 4.8 crore as unaccounted cash. Singhvi has had wide relations with Nirav Modi both as a property lessee for Rs 30 lakh rent per month after 2015 and now show massive purchases of jewelry in 2014,&quot; he alleged in a statement.

Everyday, a new Congress leader&#39;s name gets linked to Nirav Modi, Rao said.

&quot;Firstly, Rahul Gandhi was reported to promote business events of Gitanjali Gem&#39;s owner in New Delhi days before Allahabad Bank approved fraudulently a loan of Rs 1,550 crore despite objections from a government-appointed director in the bank. P Chidambaram sacked the same director for objecting loan sanction to Gitanjali Gems.

&quot;All these developments clearly show that Rahul Gandhi, Chidambaram and Abhishek Manu Singvi have to answer for their dubious actions and association with Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi,&quot; he said.

Central probe agencies CBI and ED yesterday continued their crackdown in the Rs 11,400-crore bank fraud case involving Nirav Modi and family, registering a fresh case against Choksi.

The CBI has alleged that the new FIR pertains to 143 LOUs worth over Rs 4,886 crore fraudulently issued to three companies of Choksi -- Gitanjali Gems, Nakshatra and Gili -- during the period 2017-18, officials said.

The agency had earlier registered a separate case involving Rs 280-crore fraud, which has now been expanded to cover LoUs worth Rs 6,498 crore issued to accused companies of Nirav Modi and Choksi.

An LoU is a letter of comfort issued by one bank to branches of other banks, based on which foreign branches offer credit to buyers. PTI P

The BJP said it was unearthing the scams committed during UPA rule

The BJP today alleged that the multi-crore PNB scam involving billionaire jewellery designer Nirav Modi happened during the UPA rule and the Congress was spreading lies to mislead the public. The BJP, which fielded Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to counter the Congress's charges, claimed that it was under the NDA government that the alleged scams committed during the UPA rule were being unearthed. The Congress has alleged that the scam took place in 2017 under the Modi government when letters of understanding were signed by Punjab National Bank in favour of the companies of Nirav Modi and his partner and uncle Mehul Choksi. Sitharaman said Nirav Modi may have been able to run away from the country, but the government is taking action against him, and claimed that it will "surely nab him". "The original sin took place during the Congress regime. It multiplied, it took traction under the Congress regime," she told reporters. "We are not conspiring to help scamsters flee the country, but the BJP government is catching them instead," she said. Accusing the Congress of spreading lies on the issue, the minister said, "As always, the Congress party indulges in such scandalous affairs, misuses positions in government, tweaks system to help themselves and quietly cover up everything that they do." Sitharaman said the Narendra Modi government came to power with a clear commitment of unearthing scams and corrupt practices. Instead of explaining as to why the scam happened during the UPA rule, the Congress instead is making allegations against the BJP. "I am sorry, the Congress party's allegations against this government and in misleading people is just not going to happen. "Concerted repeating of lies for misleading people may be a strategy the Congress likes to adopt. But I am sorry the facts are facing you and it is for them to answer," she said. To a question on the offenders fleeing the country during the NDA regime, Sitharaman said, "They have fled but this doesn't mean we will not catch him. But they are facing the heat. Investigation is happening." "They are probably running away but I am not saying that we are sparing them. We will surely nab them. We are the ones to nab them," she said. She alleged that the person who was approving the LoUs was quietly allowed to retire and the BJP which is taking action is being accused instead. "We have taken action. We have sent notices, confiscated their properties and the process is still on, but allegation is on us. Shocking that the Congress party (is doing this) despite being reduced to 44 in Lok Sabha," she said. Sitharaman also alleged that it was Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who attended a promotional event hosted by Nirav Modi. She also claimed that the Nirav Modi-run Fire Star Diamond International has taken on lease a property of Adwait Holdings in which Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi's wife is a director. "What is important that the premises has been used by Fire Star Diamond International," she alleged. Sitharaman also claimed that a government director of Allahabad Bank, who in 2013 had raised objections to the financial restructuring of Gitanjali Gems, was asked to resign and his dissent was not even recorded. BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said the Congress's murky links to Nirav Modi's company were coming out of the closet. "Abhishek Manu Singvi's wife purchased very pricey diamonds and jewelry worth crores and made payments of over Rs 4.8 crore as unaccounted cash. Singhvi has had wide relations with Nirav Modi both as a property lessee for Rs 30 lakh rent per month after 2015 and now show massive purchases of jewelry in 2014," he alleged in a statement. Everyday, a new Congress leader's name gets linked to Nirav Modi, Rao said. "Firstly, Rahul Gandhi was reported to promote business events of Gitanjali Gem's owner in New Delhi days before Allahabad Bank approved fraudulently a loan of Rs 1,550 crore despite objections from a government-appointed director in the bank. P Chidambaram sacked the same director for objecting loan sanction to Gitanjali Gems. "All these developments clearly show that Rahul Gandhi, Chidambaram and Abhishek Manu Singvi have to answer for their dubious actions and association with Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi," he said. Central probe agencies CBI and ED yesterday continued their crackdown in the Rs 11,400-crore bank fraud case involving Nirav Modi and family, registering a fresh case against Choksi. The CBI has alleged that the new FIR pertains to 143 LOUs worth over Rs 4,886 crore fraudulently issued to three companies of Choksi -- Gitanjali Gems, Nakshatra and Gili -- during the period 2017-18, officials said. The agency had earlier registered a separate case involving Rs 280-crore fraud, which has now been expanded to cover LoUs worth Rs 6,498 crore issued to accused companies of Nirav Modi and Choksi. An LoU is a letter of comfort issued by one bank to branches of other banks, based on which foreign branches offer credit to buyers. PTI P

PNB scam: 'Original sin' took place under Congress, says BJP

Amid noisy protests in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday tore into the Congress for what he termed as &quot;dividing&quot; Andhra Pradesh and earlier the country in 1947 for political gains.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opposition-heckles-pm-modi-as-he-speaks-in-lok-sabha-32078" target="_blank">&#39;If Vallabhbhai Patel was the first PM, J&amp;K solution would have been easier,&#39; Modi in Parliament</a>

The speech of the Prime Minister comes a day after two of NDA allies attacked the Central government in the Lower House.&nbsp;

Here are the highlights of his speech:

<ol>
	<li>I know the Government&#39;s efforts to eliminate corruption &amp; black money are hurting a select group of people.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Today, people who served as Chief Ministers are in jail. If one has been corrupt, that person will be punished. We are in an era of honesty.</li>
	<li>A government that talked about 21st century could not bring an aviation policy. Then what kind of a 21st century did they talk about, the one with bullock carts?</li>
	<li>When the corrupt and middlemen are out of work, obviously the Congress will be unhappy.</li>
	<li>If Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the first PM of the country, entire Kashmir would have been ours.</li>
	<li>NT Rama Rao was insulted (by Rajiv Gandhi) and that simmering anger led to the formation of TDP.</li>
	<li>After forming govt in 2014 we prioritised North East and worked for its development.</li>
	<li>Employment is increasing but you have closed your eyes as you are busy singing your songs.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>The impact of Start-up India, Mudra Yojana, Entrepreneurship scheme, Skill India, and Make in India reveal that the truth is far from what the Congress believes and says.</li>
	<li>You (Congress) said Modi will scrap UIDAI but we made Aadhaar more effective in terms of enabling better and effective service delivery, suddenly you are opposing Aadhaar.</li>
	<li>The governments of West Bengal, Karnataka, Odisha and Kerala where BJP or NDA is not in power have claimed with data that they have given 1 crore jobs in the last 3-4 years. Will you dispute their job claims too?</li>
	<li>Irrespective of who heads the government, the aspirations of the brimming middle-class youth should always be the top priority.</li>
	<li>How did the Congress act in Kerala, how did they treat the Akali Dal in Punjab, how did they behave in Tamil Nadu? Why did Congress dismiss so many state governments at their will? This is no commitment to democracy.</li>
	<li>You spent time ensuring that only one family is remembered and nobody else. If your (Congress&#39;) intentions were good, the country would have been far ahead of where it is now.</li>
	<li>When you divided India, when you divided the country- there is not even a single day, when, 125 crore Indians do not suffer the repercussions of your wrongdoings.</li>
	<li>Every Indian is paying the price of the poison infested by Congress.</li>
	<li>Congress was never connected to ground, never worked at ground level and it shows clearly as we look at your situation today.</li>
	<li>Stop misleading the country by false statements on jobs and employment. The truth is quite the opposite.</li>
	<li>He also questioned the conscience behind opposing just for the sake of opposing.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>President&#39;s address does not belong to a particular party. It is the representative of the aspiration of the nation.</li>
</ol>

The speech of the Prime Minister comes a day after two of NDA allies attacked the Central government in the Lower House

Amid noisy protests in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday tore into the Congress for what he termed as "dividing" Andhra Pradesh and earlier the country in 1947 for political gains. Also read: 'If Vallabhbhai Patel was the first PM, J&K solution would have been easier,' Modi in Parliament The speech of the Prime Minister comes a day after two of NDA allies attacked the Central government in the Lower House. Here are the highlights of his speech: I know the Government's efforts to eliminate corruption & black money are hurting a select group of people. Today, people who served as Chief Ministers are in jail. If one has been corrupt, that person will be punished. We are in an era of honesty. A government that talked about 21st century could not bring an aviation policy. Then what kind of a 21st century did they talk about, the one with bullock carts? When the corrupt and middlemen are out of work, obviously the Congress will be unhappy. If Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the first PM of the country, entire Kashmir would have been ours. NT Rama Rao was insulted (by Rajiv Gandhi) and that simmering anger led to the formation of TDP. After forming govt in 2014 we prioritised North East and worked for its development. Employment is increasing but you have closed your eyes as you are busy singing your songs. The impact of Start-up India, Mudra Yojana, Entrepreneurship scheme, Skill India, and Make in India reveal that the truth is far from what the Congress believes and says. You (Congress) said Modi will scrap UIDAI but we made Aadhaar more effective in terms of enabling better and effective service delivery, suddenly you are opposing Aadhaar. The governments of West Bengal, Karnataka, Odisha and Kerala where BJP or NDA is not in power have claimed with data that they have given 1 crore jobs in the last 3-4 years. Will you dispute their job claims too? Irrespective of who heads the government, the aspirations of the brimming middle-class youth should always be the top priority. How did the Congress act in Kerala, how did they treat the Akali Dal in Punjab, how did they behave in Tamil Nadu? Why did Congress dismiss so many state governments at their will? This is no commitment to democracy. You spent time ensuring that only one family is remembered and nobody else. If your (Congress') intentions were good, the country would have been far ahead of where it is now. When you divided India, when you divided the country- there is not even a single day, when, 125 crore Indians do not suffer the repercussions of your wrongdoings. Every Indian is paying the price of the poison infested by Congress. Congress was never connected to ground, never worked at ground level and it shows clearly as we look at your situation today. Stop misleading the country by false statements on jobs and employment. The truth is quite the opposite. He also questioned the conscience behind opposing just for the sake of opposing. President's address does not belong to a particular party. It is the representative of the aspiration of the nation.

PM Modi takes on opposition during Parliament speech: Top 20 highlights

The Government of India on Wednesday gave detailed clarification on the Rafale deal controversy and said the opposition is misleading the country.

On Tuesday, the Congress posed eight questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the deal.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Prime Minister personally went to Paris and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-alleges-scam-in-rafale-deal-32007" target="_blank">changed the deal</a>.

The Centre said it was issuing clarification over the 2016 Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to procure 36 Rafale aircraft in fly-away condition from France because the opposition was misleading nation on a serious matter of national security.

&quot;In another effort to twist facts, the Government is asked why it did not conduct negotiations with a particular company representing a competing fighter aircraft. It seems to have been conveniently forgotten that the then Government itself had rejected that company&#39;s unsolicited offer made days after closure of the bid process, declared Rafale (DA) as the L1 bidder and had commenced negotiations with it in February 2012,&quot; the Centre said in a statement.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>In another effort to twist facts, the Government is asked why it did not conduct negotiations with a particular company representing a competing fighter aircraft. It seems to have been conveniently forgotten that the then Government itself had rejected that company&#39;s unsolicited offer made days after closure of the bid process, declared Rafale (DA) as the L1 bidder and had commenced negotiations with it in February 2012,&#39; the Centre said in a statement</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=In another effort to twist facts, the Government is asked why it did not conduct negotiations with a particular company representing a competing fighter aircraft. It seems to have been conveniently forgotten that the then Government itself had rejected that company's unsolicited offer made days after closure of the bid process, declared Rafale (DA) as the L1 bidder and had commenced negotiations with it in February 2012,' the Centre said in a statement" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

The Government of India further termed the demand to disclose details and value of the Rafale aircraft as &quot;unrealistic&quot;.

&quot;The demand that the Government disclose the details and value of the contract for the Rafale aircraft contracted in 2016 is unrealistic. [In keeping with confidentiality requirements, the UPA Government had also expressed its inability to disclose the price of various defence procurements, including in its responses to Parliament Questions],&quot; the statement said.

The Centre also said the Opposition&#39;s demand to disclose exact item-wise cost and other information will impact military preparedness and compromise national security.

&quot;The approximate acquisition cost of the Rafale aircraft has already been provided to the Parliament. Provision of exact item-wise cost and other information will reveal, inter alia, details regarding the various customizations and weapons systems specially designed to augment the effectiveness and lethality of the assets, impact our military preparedness and compromise our national security,&quot; said the Union Government.

It added that &quot;such details would also come under the ambit of the security agreement signed in 2008. Thus, in not revealing the item-wise details of the contract, the Government is merely following in letter and spirit the confidentiality provisions of a bilateral India-France Agreement of 2008 signed by the previous Government&quot;.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government also said its deal is much better than that of previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

&quot;The deal secured by the Government is better in terms of capability, price, equipment, delivery, maintenance, training, etc., than that notionally negotiated by the then Government in a process it could not conclude in ten years. Moreover, the present Government completed these negotiations in just about one year,&quot; said the NDA government.

The government also stressed that 36 Rafale aircrafts were procured to meet the urgent need of the Indian Air Force strictly in accordance with the Defence Procurement Procedure.

&quot;The procurement of 36 Rafale aircraft to meet the urgent need of the IAF is strictly in accordance with the Defence Procurement Procedure in all aspects including mandating, conducting and monitoring of negotiations and seeking all necessary approvals, including that of the Cabinet Committee on Security, before entering into the IGA. The aircraft had already been evaluated successfully by IAF during 2009-10,&quot; said the statement.

On the issue of transfer of technology, the government said, &quot;It may also be noted that contrary to the impression sought, to be created by the Opposition, in the earlier proposal to procure Rafale, which ended in a stalemate, there was no provision for transfer of technology but only to manufacture under licence. The Government was unable to agree on the terms for even that in its negotiations with the vendor, resulting in the long-drawn exercise under the earlier Government ultimately turning futile.&quot;

Reacting to the Congress allegation on why an Indian private company with zero experience in aviation was chosen as an offset partner to manufacture Rafale jets, the MoD said no offset partners has been selected so far.

&quot;Further, no Indian Offset Partner for the 2016 deal for 36 Rafale Aircraft has been so far selected by the vendor (DA) because as per the applicable guidelines, DA is free to select the Indian Offset Partners and provide their details at the time of seeking offset credits, or one year prior to discharge of offset obligation,&quot; it said. (ANI)

Congress President Rahul Gandhi had on Tuesday alleged a 'scam' in the deal

The Government of India on Wednesday gave detailed clarification on the Rafale deal controversy and said the opposition is misleading the country. On Tuesday, the Congress posed eight questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the deal. Congress President Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Prime Minister personally went to Paris and changed the deal. The Centre said it was issuing clarification over the 2016 Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to procure 36 Rafale aircraft in fly-away condition from France because the opposition was misleading nation on a serious matter of national security. "In another effort to twist facts, the Government is asked why it did not conduct negotiations with a particular company representing a competing fighter aircraft. It seems to have been conveniently forgotten that the then Government itself had rejected that company's unsolicited offer made days after closure of the bid process, declared Rafale (DA) as the L1 bidder and had commenced negotiations with it in February 2012," the Centre said in a statement. In another effort to twist facts, the Government is asked why it did not conduct negotiations with a particular company representing a competing fighter aircraft. It seems to have been conveniently forgotten that the then Government itself had rejected that company's unsolicited offer made days after closure of the bid process, declared Rafale (DA) as the L1 bidder and had commenced negotiations with it in February 2012,' the Centre said in a statement × The Government of India further termed the demand to disclose details and value of the Rafale aircraft as "unrealistic". "The demand that the Government disclose the details and value of the contract for the Rafale aircraft contracted in 2016 is unrealistic. [In keeping with confidentiality requirements, the UPA Government had also expressed its inability to disclose the price of various defence procurements, including in its responses to Parliament Questions]," the statement said. The Centre also said the Opposition's demand to disclose exact item-wise cost and other information will impact military preparedness and compromise national security. "The approximate acquisition cost of the Rafale aircraft has already been provided to the Parliament. Provision of exact item-wise cost and other information will reveal, inter alia, details regarding the various customizations and weapons systems specially designed to augment the effectiveness and lethality of the assets, impact our military preparedness and compromise our national security," said the Union Government. It added that "such details would also come under the ambit of the security agreement signed in 2008. Thus, in not revealing the item-wise details of the contract, the Government is merely following in letter and spirit the confidentiality provisions of a bilateral India-France Agreement of 2008 signed by the previous Government". The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government also said its deal is much better than that of previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. "The deal secured by the Government is better in terms of capability, price, equipment, delivery, maintenance, training, etc., than that notionally negotiated by the then Government in a process it could not conclude in ten years. Moreover, the present Government completed these negotiations in just about one year," said the NDA government. The government also stressed that 36 Rafale aircrafts were procured to meet the urgent need of the Indian Air Force strictly in accordance with the Defence Procurement Procedure. "The procurement of 36 Rafale aircraft to meet the urgent need of the IAF is strictly in accordance with the Defence Procurement Procedure in all aspects including mandating, conducting and monitoring of negotiations and seeking all necessary approvals, including that of the Cabinet Committee on Security, before entering into the IGA. The aircraft had already been evaluated successfully by IAF during 2009-10," said the statement. On the issue of transfer of technology, the government said, "It may also be noted that contrary to the impression sought, to be created by the Opposition, in the earlier proposal to procure Rafale, which ended in a stalemate, there was no provision for transfer of technology but only to manufacture under licence. The Government was unable to agree on the terms for even that in its negotiations with the vendor, resulting in the long-drawn exercise under the earlier Government ultimately turning futile." Reacting to the Congress allegation on why an Indian private company with zero experience in aviation was chosen as an offset partner to manufacture Rafale jets, the MoD said no offset partners has been selected so far. "Further, no Indian Offset Partner for the 2016 deal for 36 Rafale Aircraft has been so far selected by the vendor (DA) because as per the applicable guidelines, DA is free to select the Indian Offset Partners and provide their details at the time of seeking offset credits, or one year prior to discharge of offset obligation," it said. (ANI)

Opposition misleading country over Rafale deal: Government

Congress leader Anand Sharma has sent a notice proposing names of 17 Rajya Sabha MPs to be members of Select Committee for the Triple Talaq Bill.&nbsp;

The proposal includes the name of MPs such as Renuka Chowdhury, K Rahman Khan, Derek O Brien, Javed Ahmad, Majeed Memon, KK Ragesh, D Raja.

The names of MPs proposed mostly belong to the Congress, AIADMK, SP, BSP, DMK, NCP, CPI(M), CPI parties.&nbsp;

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Name of 17 Rajya Sabha MPs including Renuka Chowdhury, K Rahman Khan, Derek O Brien, Javed Ahmad, Majeed Memon, KK Ragesh, D Raja proposed to be members of Select Committee in the notice sent by Congress&#39; Anand Sharma <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/aExOfiFMnL">pic.twitter.com/aExOfiFMnL</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948511309179400192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Opposition today demanded that the Triple Talaq bill should be sent to the Select Committee for modifications of certain provisions.&nbsp;

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had tabled the bill in Rajya Sabha.

Within few&nbsp;hours of tabling the bill, the Upper House was disrupted due to Opposition&#39;s demand of&nbsp;sending the bill to Select Committee.

The proposal includes name of MPs including Renuka Chowdhury, K Rahman Khan, Derek O Brien, Javed Ahmad, Majeed Memon, KK Ragesh, D Raja

Congress leader Anand Sharma has sent a notice proposing names of 17 Rajya Sabha MPs to be members of Select Committee for the Triple Talaq Bill. The proposal includes the name of MPs such as Renuka Chowdhury, K Rahman Khan, Derek O Brien, Javed Ahmad, Majeed Memon, KK Ragesh, D Raja. The names of MPs proposed mostly belong to the Congress, AIADMK, SP, BSP, DMK, NCP, CPI(M), CPI parties. Name of 17 Rajya Sabha MPs including Renuka Chowdhury, K Rahman Khan, Derek O Brien, Javed Ahmad, Majeed Memon, KK Ragesh, D Raja proposed to be members of Select Committee in the notice sent by Congress' Anand Sharma #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/aExOfiFMnL — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × The Opposition today demanded that the Triple Talaq bill should be sent to the Select Committee for modifications of certain provisions. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had tabled the bill in Rajya Sabha. Within few hours of tabling the bill, the Upper House was disrupted due to Opposition's demand of sending the bill to Select Committee.

Triple Talaq Bill: Congress leader Anand Sharma proposes names for Select Committee members

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